Shloka 246
बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः
Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra
धनंजयोउपि तां दृष्टवा धनुर्विससजे प्रभु: । वह अर्जुनके पास आकर आर्तस्वरसे फूट-फ़ूटकर रोने लगी। शक्तिशाली अर्जुनने भी उसे सामने देख अपना धनुष नीचे डाल दिया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | dhanañjayo 'pi tāṃ dṛṣṭvā dhanur visasarje prabhuḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: Seeing her before him, even Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)—the mighty lord—let his bow slip from his hand. The scene underscores how compassion and human vulnerability can interrupt the momentum of violence: the warrior’s readiness to act yields, for a moment, to empathy in the face of another’s grief.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that dharma is not mere force or victory; even a great warrior must remain responsive to suffering. Compassion can rightly suspend aggression, reminding the listener that ethical action includes sensitivity to others’ pain.
A grieving woman approaches (implied by context), and when Arjuna sees her, he lowers/releases his bow. The moment signals a shift from martial readiness to attentive engagement with her distress.