Shloka 34
पदातींश्व रथांश्चैव न्यवधीदर्जुनाग्रज: । गोपाल इव दण्डेन यथा पशुगणान् वने
padātīṁś ca rathāṁś caiva nyavadhīd arjunāgrajaḥ | gopāla iva daṇḍena yathā paśugaṇān vane ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Arjuna’s elder brother cut down both the foot-soldiers and the chariot-warriors, driving them back as effortlessly as a cowherd controls a herd in the forest with his staff. The image underscores disciplined force—power used to subdue and direct, not merely to rage—within the harsh necessities of battle.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial action through the ethic of disciplined control: even in violence, the ideal leader acts with steadiness and purpose, like a herdsman guiding and restraining a herd—power as governance rather than mere fury.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna’s elder brother overwhelms opposing forces—both infantry and chariot fighters—subduing them decisively; the comparison to a cowherd with a staff emphasizes ease, authority, and control in the midst of conflict.