Shloka 42
ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins
अस्त्रैरस्त्राणि संवार्य तेषां राजा प्रतर्दन: । जघान तान् महातेजा वज्जानलसमै: शरै:
astrair astrāṇi saṃvārya teṣāṃ rājā pratardanaḥ | jaghāna tān mahātejā vajrānalasamaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Bhishma said: King Pratardana, a man of great splendor, countered the enemies’ missiles with his own weapons; then, with arrows blazing like thunderbolt and fire, he struck them down.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores disciplined force: a righteous warrior first neutralizes incoming harm (defensive restraint) and then acts decisively to end the threat. It frames martial action as ordered, skillful, and directed toward restoring stability rather than uncontrolled violence.
Bhishma narrates how King Pratardana counters the opponents’ missiles with his own weapons and then kills them with arrows described as thunderbolt- and fire-like in power, emphasizing his superior prowess and the overwhelming momentum of the encounter.