ततो भुजगसंकाशां सुशर्मा शक्तिम् आयसीम् ॥
चिक्षेपार्जुनम् आदिश्य वासुदेवाय तोमरम् ॥
शक्तिं त्रिभिः शरैश् छित्त्वा तोमरं त्रिभिर् अर्जुनः ॥
सुशर्माणं शरव्रातैर् मोहयित्वा न्यवर्तत ॥
तं वासवम् इवायान्तं भूरिवर्षशरौघिणम् ॥
राजंस् तावकसैन्यानां नोग्रं कश् चिद् अवारयत् ॥
tato bhujagasaṃkāśāṃ suśarmā śaktim āyasīm ||
cikṣepārjunam ādiśya vāsudevāya tomaram ||
śaktiṃ tribhiḥ śaraiś chittvā tomaraṃ tribhir arjunaḥ ||
suśarmāṇaṃ śaravrātair mohayitvā nyavartata ||
taṃ vāsavam ivāyāntaṃ bhūrivarṣaśaraughiṇam ||
rājaṃs tāvakasainyānāṃ nograṃ kaś cid avārayat ||
Then Sushaman hurled an iron shakti-spear, like a serpent, aiming at Arjuna, and a tomara-javelin at Vasudeva. Cutting down the spear with three arrows, and the javelin with three more, Arjuna, having thrown Sushaman into confusion with clouds of arrows, drew off. Him -- fierce, advancing like Indra, pouring down streams of arrows -- none of your soldiers, O sovereign, could withstand.
d0a446efe321 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
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Sushaman aims his spear at Arjuna and his javelin at Krishna himself, the unarmed charioteer; but both blows are cut down in flight. An attack upon the Lord who holds the reins is powerless -- He protects, and is protected by, His devotee. Having dealt with the obstacle, Arjuna presses on, unstoppable, "like Indra," and no one dares stand in his way. It is telling that one who shields himself under Krishna's guidance becomes unstoppable. The verse teaches that an attack upon the sacred is in vain -- a blow aimed at the Lord does not reach its mark; that the devotee, in guarding Him, becomes himself invincible; and that a man who goes with God at the reins gains such strength that no barrier can stand before him, and enemies part before him as before a descending Indra.