Shloka 31
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
तस्य शक्तिममेयात्मा पाण्डवो भुजगोपमाम् | चिक्षेप भरतश्रेष्ठ रथे न्यस्य महद् धनु:,भरतश्रेष्ठ तब अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरने अपने विशाल धनुषको रथपर रखकर कृतवर्मापर एक सर्पाकार शक्ति चलायी
tasya śaktim ameyātmā pāṇḍavo bhujagopamām | cikṣepa bharataśreṣṭha rathe nyasya mahad dhanuḥ ||
قال سنجيا: ثم إنَّ الباندڤا ذا الروح التي لا تُقاس، بعدما وضع قوسه العظيم على العربة، قذف إليه سلاحَ رمحٍ—ينطلق كالأفعى، ملتفًّا سريعًا في طيرانه.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grave moral weight of martial choice: in a dharma-war setting, a warrior’s resolve can shift from standard combat (bow) to a more decisive weapon (śakti), underscoring how intention and consequence intensify together.
Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍava (understood here as Yudhiṣṭhira) sets his large bow on the chariot and hurls a serpent-like spear-weapon at his opponent, marking a sharp, dangerous turn in the immediate combat.