Mahabharata 9.61.8 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 61, Shloka 8
Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot
इन्द्रेणेव हि वृत्रस्य वध॑ परमसंयुगे । त्वया कृतममन्यन्त शत्रोर्वधमिमं जना:
indreṇeva hi vṛtrasya vadhaḥ paramasaṁyuge | tvayā kṛtam amanyanta śatror vadham imaṁ janāḥ ||
สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “ในศึกอันยิ่งใหญ่นั้น ผู้คนต่างเห็นว่า การสังหารที่ท่านกระทำ เปรียบประดุจอินทราฆ่าวฤตร—มองการทำลายศัตรูครั้งนี้มิใช่เพียงชัยชนะ หากเป็นกรรมอันอัศจรรย์ใหญ่หลวงดุจเหตุการณ์แห่งจักรวาล”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary martial deeds are interpreted through sacred archetypes: a human victory is measured against a cosmic paradigm (Indra’s defeat of Vṛtra), emphasizing reputation, perceived righteousness, and the moral weight society assigns to acts of war.
Sañjaya reports that onlookers, witnessing a decisive killing in a fierce battle, began to speak of it as equal in stature to Indra’s legendary slaying of Vṛtra—thereby magnifying the warrior’s achievement and its impact on the battlefield’s morale and memory.
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