Adhyaya 18 — Arjuna Declines the Throne; Garga Directs Him to Dattatreya; The Gods Defeat the Daityas through Dattatreya’s Vision and the Movement of Lakshmi
प्रगृह्यास्त्राणि बद्ध्यन्तां तस्मादेते सुरारयः ।
न भेतव्यं भृशञ्चैते मया निस्तेजसः कृताः ।
परदारावमर्षाच्च दग्धपुण्याः हतौजसः ॥
pragṛhyāstrāṇi badhyantāṃ tasmād ete surārayaḥ / na bhetavyaṃ bhṛśaṃ caite mayā nistejasaḥ kṛtāḥ / paradārāvamarṣāc ca dagdhapuṇyā hataujasaḥ
तस्मात् शस्त्राण्यादाय देवशत्रून् एतान् बद्ध्वा गृह्णीत। मा तान् महद्भयं कुरुत; मया ते तेजोहीनाः कृताः। परदाराभिमर्षेण तेषां पुण्यं दग्धं बलं च विनष्टम्।
{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
Adharma—especially violation of others’ spouses—destroys puṇya and ojas; moral transgression is shown to have concrete consequences: loss of power, reputation, and protection.
A dharma-illustration within itihāsa-like narrative: ethical causality (puṇya/ojas) is demonstrated through the rise and fall of hostile powers.
Tejas is sustained by inner restraint (brahmacarya/saṃyama broadly). ‘Paradāra’ outrage symbolizes dissipation of vital force; when tejas collapses, even formidable foes become bindable.