Shloka 8
पाण्डवपरिचयः—विराटसभायां प्रकाशनम्
Identification of the Pāṇḍavas in Virāṭa’s Court
ततोअस्त्रमस्त्रेण निवार्य तेषां गाण्डीवधन्वा कुरुपुड्रवानाम् | सम्मोहन शत्रुसहो <न्यदस्त्रं प्रादुश्षकारैन्द्रिरपारणीयम्
tato 'stram astreṇa nivārya teṣāṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvā kurupuṇḍravānām | sammohaṇaṃ śatru-saho 'nyad astraṃ prāduścakāra aindrir apāraṇīyam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Da wehrte Arjuna, Träger des Gāṇḍīva und Sohn Indras—einer, der den Ansturm der Feinde ertragen konnte—mit seiner eigenen Waffe die Waffen jener vornehmsten Helden unter den Kurus und Puṇḍras ab. Nachdem er so ihren Angriff gezügelt hatte, ließ er ein weiteres Geschoss erscheinen: die Waffe „Sammohana“ (Verblendung), eine unwiderstehliche Macht, der niemand etwas entgegensetzen konnte.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined strength: true martial excellence includes the capacity to neutralize violence and subdue opponents through controlled, superior means rather than uncontrolled destruction. Power is ethically framed as restraint and mastery.
Arjuna counters and nullifies the incoming weapons of leading warriors among the Kurus and Puṇḍras using his own weaponry, then deploys the Sammohana (Delusion) Astra—described as impossible to counter—thereby overwhelming the opposing force.