Shloka 31
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
तदिन्द्रजालप्रतिमं बाणजालममित्रहा । विसृज्य दिक्षु सर्वासु महेन्द्र इव वज्रभूत्,शत्रुसूदन अर्जुनने वज्रधारी महेन्द्रकी भाँति सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंसे इन्द्रजालके समान बाणोंका जाल-सा फैला दिया
tad indrajāla-pratimaṃ bāṇa-jālam amitrahā | visṛjya dikṣu sarvāsu mahendra iva vajrabhūt śatru-sūdanaḥ arjunaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Arjuna, the slayer of foes, released in every direction a net of arrows resembling Indra’s wondrous illusion—like Mahendra himself become the thunderbolt—spreading a weaponized web meant to overwhelm the enemy on all sides.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and skill, when aligned with a righteous objective in warfare, should be exercised with control and precision. The comparison to Indra’s indrajāla and vajra highlights disciplined mastery—overwhelming force used strategically rather than recklessly.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes Arjuna unleashing a dense, all-directional volley—an arrow-net—likened to Indra’s magical display and thunderbolt, indicating a decisive tactical move to dominate the battlefield and crush opposition.