Shloka 40
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata
Lākṣāgṛha Planning
तदा तस्याथ भषत: शुनः सप्त शरान् मुखे । लाघवं दर्शयन्नस्त्रे मुमोच युगपद् यथा,यह देख भीलने अपने अस्त्रलाघवका परिचय देते हुए उस भूकनेवाले कुत्तेके मुखमें मानो एक ही साथ सात बाण मारे
tadā tasyātha bhaṣataḥ śunaḥ sapta śarān mukhe | lāghavaṁ darśayann astre mumoca yugapad yathā ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Da, während der Hund bellte, schoss er sieben Pfeile in dessen Maul und zeigte so die Leichtigkeit und Meisterschaft seiner Waffenkunst, als wären sie zugleich abgeschossen worden.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights exceptional martial skill (astra-lāghava) but implicitly invites ethical reflection: dharma is not only capability but also restraint—how power is used, especially against a weaker being.
As a dog barks, the archer demonstrates his prowess by shooting seven arrows into the dog’s mouth so swiftly that it appears they were released simultaneously.