A Divine Voice Causes Indra and the Gods to Retreat
Indra and the host of heaven arrive to save the Khandava forest but find themselves powerless against Krishna and Arjuna. A disembodied voice from the sky reveals the warriors' true, invincible identities and declares the forest's fate is sealed, forcing the king of the gods to withdraw.
The assembled gods and danavas could not vanquish Krishna and Arjuna in battle. They could not save the forest with their strength or quench the fire Agni had set, so they retreated. Seeing the masses of gods turned away, Shatakratu (Indra) was extremely pleased and praised the two warriors.
Then, as the gods were repulsed, a disembodied voice spoke to Shatakratu in a loud, deep tone.
“Your friend Takshaka, supreme among serpents, is not here,” the voice said. “At the time of Khandava’s burning, he had gone to Kurukshetra. O Shakra (Indra)! Listen to my words. You cannot defeat Vasudeva and Arjuna when they are steadfast in battle. They are the gods Nara and Narayana, famous in heaven. You yourself know their bravery and their valour. These two supreme and ancient sages are invincible in battle and cannot be conquered in any of the worlds. They deserve the worship of all the gods, asuras (demons), yakshas (nature spirits), rakshas, gandharvas (celestial musicians), humans, kinnaras (mythical beings), and serpents. O Vasava (Indra)! Therefore, depart from here with the gods. The destruction of Khandava is destined.”
Having heard these words and knowing them to be true, the lord of the immortals gave up his anger and jealousy and returned to heaven. Seeing the great-souled Shatakratu leave, all the other dwellers of heaven also departed. When Vasudeva and Arjuna saw the king of the gods leave with the other gods, they roared like lions.