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 ||
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “Sa kataas-taasang sagupaan na iyon, inakala ng mga tao na ang pagpaslang na nagawa mo ay maihahambing sa pagpatay ni Indra kay Vṛtra—sapagkat sa pagkapuksa ng kaaway na ito ay nakita nila hindi lamang tagumpay, kundi isang gawang pambihira, halos kasinglawak ng sansinukob.”
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.