Shloka 132
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
तदैन्द्रमस्त्रं विततं च घोर- मसह्ामुद्वीक्ष्य युगान्तकल्पम् । अथापयानं कुरव: सभीष्मा: सद्रोणदुर्योधनबाह्िकाश्न
tadā indram astraṃ vitataṃ ca ghoraṃ sahāṃ udvīkṣya yugāntakalpam | atha apayānaṃ kuravaḥ sabhīṣmāḥ sadroṇaduryodhanabāhlīkāś ca ||
三阇耶说：见那可怖的因陀罗神兵已被完全施放——凶厉如一劫终末的大毁灭——俱卢人便在恐惧中开始后退；连毗湿摩也不例外，与德罗纳、难敌与婆诃利迦一同退却。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological truth that power and status do not guarantee steadiness: when violence escalates to a seemingly world-ending level through divine weaponry, even renowned warriors recoil. It cautions against hubris in war and points to the limits of human control once destructive forces are unleashed.
Sañjaya reports that a terrifying divine missile—the Indra-weapon—has been released and appears like an end-of-age catastrophe. Confronted by it, the Kaurava forces begin to retreat, including major leaders such as Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Duryodhana, and Bāhlīka.