गान्धारे युधि विक्रम्य निर्जिताः सुरसत्तमाः ॥
पुरा वृत्रेण दैत्येन भिन्नदेहाः सहस्रशः ॥
हृततेजोबलाः सर्वे तदा सेन्द्रा दिवौकसः ॥
ब्रह्माणं शरणं जग्मुर् वृत्राद् भीता महासुरात् ॥
देवा ऊचुः
प्रमर्दितानां वृत्रेण देवानां देवसत्तम ॥
गतिर् भव सुरश्रेष्ठ त्राहि नो महतो भयात् ॥
gāndhāre yudhi vikramya nirjitāḥ surasattamāḥ ||
purā vṛtreṇa daityena bhinnadehāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
hṛtatejobalāḥ sarve tadā sendrā divaukasaḥ ||
brahmāṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ jagmur vṛtrād bhītā mahāsurāt ||
devā ūcuḥ
pramarditānāṃ vṛtreṇa devānāṃ devasattama ||
gatir bhava suraśreṣṭha trāhi no mahato bhayāt ||
"O Gandharan, when long ago, rising up in battle, the best of the suras were defeated by the daitya Vritra, with bodies torn apart, by the thousands -- when all the heaven-dwellers with Indra, their splendor and strength stripped away, went then for refuge to Brahma, afraid of the great asura Vritra: 'Of the gods crushed by Vritra, O best of gods, be our refuge, O foremost of suras; save us from the great terror.'"
4843b8714775 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
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Drona begins the tale of the armor's origin with an ancient calamity: the gods, crushed by Vritra, "brahmāṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ jagmuḥ" -- went for refuge to Brahma. Even the gods in distress seek the highest refuge. It is telling that the motif of "śaraṇam," refuge, runs through the whole myth: salvation lies in turning to the Highest. The verse teaches that refuge (sharana) is the way of salvation for all, even for gods: in the hour of helplessness and fear, the only way out is to fall at the feet of the Highest; and this truth holds equally for gods before Brahma and for men before the Lord.