Shloka 2
खाण्डवं च वन सर्व पाण्डवो बहुभि: शरै: । आच्छादयदमेयात्मा नीहारेणेव चन्द्रमा:,अमित आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न पाण्डव अर्जुनने बहुत-से बाणोंकी वर्षा करके सारे खाण्डववनको ढँक दिया, जैसे कुहरा चन्द्रमाको ढक देता है
Vaiśampāyana uvāca |
Khāṇḍavaṃ ca vanaṃ sarvaṃ pāṇḍavo bahubhiḥ śaraiḥ |
Ācchādayad ameyātmā nīhāreṇeva candramāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the Pāṇḍava—Arjuna, of immeasurable spirit—covered the entire Khāṇḍava forest with a dense shower of many arrows, just as mist veils the moon. The image underscores not only martial mastery but also the grave moral weight of force used to seal off escape and make an action irrevocable within the unfolding conflict.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming force can decisively shape outcomes; ethically, it invites reflection on the responsibility that accompanies extraordinary power—especially when actions prevent escape and intensify harm.
Arjuna, described as of immeasurable prowess, releases a massive volley of arrows that blankets the whole Khāṇḍava forest, likened to fog covering the moon—signaling a complete martial enclosure of the scene.