Shloka 61
योधयामास समरे धृष्टद्युम्नं महारथम् । ते हि वैतस्तिका नाम शरा आसन्नयोधिन:
yodhayāmāsa samare dhṛṣṭadyumnaṁ mahāratham | te hi vaitastikā nāma śarā āsann ayodhinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In that battle he engaged Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the great chariot-warrior, in combat. For those arrows—known as ‘Vaitastikā’—were indeed unfailing in fight, pressing the foe with relentless force. The scene underscores how, amid the chaos of war, mastery of weapons and resolve can drive the encounter forward, even as the larger struggle raises grave questions of righteous conduct and the cost of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the decisive role of disciplined martial capability in war, while implicitly reminding the listener that such prowess operates within a morally fraught arena where dharma must be weighed against the destructive momentum of battle.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied by context) engages Dhṛṣṭadyumna in direct combat, using a specific, named kind of arrows—Vaitastikā—described as effectively irresistible or unfailing in battle.