Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 33
Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy
तस्मादिन्द्रोऽबिभेच्छत्रोर्वज्र: प्रतिहतो यत: । किमिदं दैवयोगेन भूतं लोकविमोहनम् ॥ ३३ ॥
tasmād indro ’bibhec chatror vajraḥ pratihato yataḥ kim idaṁ daiva-yogena bhūtaṁ loka-vimohanam
因陀罗见金刚杵被敌人挡回而反弹归来，心中大惧。他思忖：“这莫非是某种天命之合而成的神异之力，足以迷惑世间的奇事吗？”
Indra’s thunderbolt is invincible, and therefore when Indra saw that it had returned without doing any injury to Namuci, he was certainly very much afraid.
FAQs
This verse shows that even Indra’s famed thunderbolt can be rendered ineffective by daiva-yoga—an overriding divine arrangement—so outcomes are not solely determined by strength or weapons.
Indra’s confidence rested on the vajra’s invincibility; when it was checked, he recognized an extraordinary, providential factor at work and feared his enemy’s unexpected advantage.
When plans fail despite competence, this verse advises humility and reflection—recognizing higher factors beyond control and responding with steadiness rather than panic.