Shloka 703
रथादनवरूढस्य तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् । परंतु वे अभी अपने रथसे उतर भी नहीं पाये थे कि अर्जुनने अपने बाणोंद्वारा उनकी ढालके सौ टुकड़े कर दिये, वह एक अद्भुत-सी बात हुई
rathādanavarūḍhasya tadadbhutam ivābhavat |
Sañjaya sprach: Noch ehe er seinen Wagen bestiegen hatte, geschah etwas Erstaunliches—Arjuna zerschmetterte mit seinen Pfeilen seinen Schild in hundert Stücke. Die Szene hebt die erbarmungslose Schnelligkeit und Präzision der Schlacht hervor, in der Zögern oder Verzögerung zur moralischen und strategischen Verwundbarkeit wird, wie es die Pflichten des kṣatriya-Krieges verlangen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the dharma of warfare, readiness and discipline are decisive: even a brief lapse can lead to immediate defeat. It also points to Arjuna’s extraordinary mastery, suggesting that prowess and resolve can overwhelm an opponent before he is fully prepared.
Sañjaya reports a startling moment on the battlefield: before the opponent could even mount his chariot, Arjuna’s arrows struck so swiftly that the shield was shattered into a hundred fragments.