Shloka 8
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
यच्चापि वज्पाणेस्तु प्रियं कृतमरिंदम । एतदाख्याहि मे सर्वमखिलेन धनंजय
yaccāpi vajrapāṇes tu priyaṁ kṛtam arindama | etad ākhyāhi me sarvam akhilena dhanañjaya ||
毗舍摩波耶那说道：“制敌者檀那阇耶啊，请将你为执金刚（持雷霆之杵）的因陀罗所成就的可喜之事，完完整整、详详细细地告诉我；我愿听闻全部经过。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical value of truthful, complete narration and the recognition that heroic action gains meaning when aligned with higher purpose—here, a deed that earns divine approval and is worth recounting in full.
Vaiśampāyana prompts Arjuna (addressed as Dhanañjaya, ‘crusher of foes’) to recount in detail the specific act he performed that pleased Indra, the thunderbolt-wielder, setting up a fuller description of Arjuna’s divine encounters and accomplishments.