Shloka 33
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
अर्जुन: कौरवं सैन्यमर्जुनं चापि कौरवा: । नानाशस्त्रसमावायैरन्योन्यं समपीडयन्,अर्जुन कौरव-सेनापर और कौरव-सैनिक अर्जुनपर नाना प्रकारके शस्त्र-समूहोंकी वर्षा करते हुए एक-दूसरेको पीड़ा देने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
arjunaḥ kauravaṃ sainyam arjunaṃ cāpi kauravāḥ |
nānāśastrasamāvāyair anyonyaṃ samapīḍayan ||
Sañjaya said: Arjuna pressed hard upon the Kaurava host, and the Kauravas in turn bore down upon Arjuna. With volleys and combinations of many kinds of weapons, they assailed one another, seeking to inflict pain and gain advantage in the terrible contest of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the reciprocal nature of violence in war: aggression invites counter-aggression. Even within a dharma-yuddha framework, the ethical weight of combat is felt as mutual affliction, reminding the listener that victory is pursued through suffering inflicted and endured.
Sanjaya reports an intense exchange: Arjuna bears down on the Kaurava forces, and the Kaurava warriors respond by concentrating diverse weapon-attacks upon him. Both sides mutually harass and press each other with volleys of weapons.