Shloka 20
Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds
युद्धे3भ्यषिज्चद् विजयो गार्ध्रपत्रे: शिलाशितै: । गाण्डीवं धारयन् धीमान् कीदृशं वो मनस्तदा,जिस समय भयंकर गर्जना करनेवाले रौद्ररूपधारी बुद्धिमान् अर्जुनने युद्धमें गाण्डीव धारण करके सानपर चढ़ाकर तेज किये हुए गृध्रपंखयुक्त बाणोंद्वारा दुर्योधन आदि मेरे पुत्रों और सैनिकोंको घायल करना आरम्भ किया, उस समय तुमलोगोंके मनकी कैसी अवस्था हुई थी?
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: yuddhe ’bhyasiñcad vijayo gārdhrapatraiḥ śilāśitaiḥ | gāṇḍīvaṃ dhārayan dhīmān kīdṛśaṃ vo manas tadā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “When the wise Arjuna, holding the Gāṇḍīva in battle, began to strike down and wound Duryodhana and the rest of my sons and their troops with vulture-feathered arrows sharpened on stone, what was the state of your minds at that time?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological pressure of dharma-yuddha: when righteous force (Arjuna’s disciplined prowess) turns decisively against one’s side, the mind is tested—revealing fear, resolve, or remorse. It implicitly asks how leaders and warriors respond inwardly when consequences of their choices become unavoidable.
Vaiśampāyana describes Arjuna entering the fight with the Gāṇḍīva and unleashing a storm of sharpened, vulture-feathered arrows that begin wounding Duryodhana and the Kaurava forces. He then asks the listeners (the Kaurava side) what their mental state was at that moment.