Shloka 41
Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas
Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode
त॑ तु योधा: परीप्सन्त: शारद्वतममर्षणम् | सर्वतः समरे पार्थ शरवर्षरवाकिरन्
te tu yodhāḥ parīpsantaḥ śāradvata-mamarṣaṇam | sarvataḥ samare pārtha śaravarṣa-ravākiran ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Jene Krieger, entschlossen, den Śāradvata zu überwältigen—der im Kampf schwer zu ertragen und kaum zu bezwingen war—überschütteten ihn im Gefecht von allen Seiten, o Pārtha, mit einem dröhnenden Regen von Pfeilen.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: battlefield necessity often pushes warriors toward collective tactics (surrounding and massed missile fire) when facing an exceptionally formidable opponent. It invites reflection on how ideals of fair combat are strained under the pressure to neutralize overwhelming strength.
A group of warriors attempts to subdue Śāradvata (Aśvatthāman). Unable to check him easily, they attack from all directions, unleashing a loud, dense rain of arrows in the midst of battle, as the narrator addresses Arjuna (Pārtha).