Shloka 46
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
उत्कर्षन्तं सृजन्तं च न सम पश्याम लाघवात् | महाराज! उस समय अर्जुनकी अद्भुत फुर्तीके कारण हमलोग यह नहीं देख पाते थे कि वे कब बाण निकालते हैं, कब उसे धनुषपर रखते हैं, कब धनुषको खींचते हैं और कब बाण छोड़ते हैं,आददानं महेष्वासं संदधानं च सायकम्
sañjaya uvāca |
utkarṣantaṃ sṛjantaṃ ca na sama paśyāma lāghavāt |
ādādānaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ saṃdadhānaṃ ca sāyakam ||
Sañjaya said: O great king, because of Arjuna’s astonishing swiftness, we could not clearly perceive the sequence of his actions—when he drew forth an arrow, when he set it upon the bow, when he pulled the bowstring, and when he released the shaft. Such was the mastery of that great archer in taking up and fitting his missiles.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights excellence born of disciplined mastery: when skill is perfected, action becomes seamless and almost imperceptible. In the ethical frame of the epic, such prowess serves kṣatriya-dharma—effective protection and decisive action in war—while also reminding the listener that power can outstrip ordinary perception and must be guided by right purpose.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhritarashtra that Arjuna is shooting with such extraordinary speed that observers cannot distinguish the steps of archery—drawing an arrow, nocking it, drawing the bow, and releasing—because the entire sequence occurs too swiftly to follow.