Shloka 102
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
शरवृष्टिं शरैद्रौणिरप्राप्तां तां व्यशातयत् । ततोडन््तरिक्षे बाणानां संग्रामो5न्य इवाभवत्
sañjaya uvāca |
śaravṛṣṭiṃ śarair drauṇir aprāptāṃ tāṃ vyaśātayat |
tato 'ntarikṣe bāṇānāṃ saṃgrāmo 'nya iva abhavat |
Sañjaya said: Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi) shattered that oncoming rain of arrows with his own shafts before it could reach him. Then, in the open sky, there arose as it were another battle—an intense clash of arrows meeting and breaking one another—showing how martial skill and resolve can intercept harm even before it strikes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of vigilance and mastery: danger is best neutralized before it lands. Ethically, it illustrates how skill and resolve can prevent harm, though within the tragic framework of war where such excellence serves destruction.
Aśvatthāman counters an incoming barrage by cutting it down with his own arrows before it reaches him. The arrows collide in mid-air, creating the impression of a second battle taking place in the sky.