Shloka 44
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
वर्तमाने तु संग्रामे तस्मिन् वीरवरक्षये । अतीव शुश्रुवे राजन् गाण्डीवस्य महास्वन:
vartamāne tu saṅgrāme tasmin vīravarakṣaye | atīva śuśruve rājan gāṇḍīvasya mahāsvanaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, while that battle was in progress—when the foremost heroes were being cut down—the mighty, far-reaching roar of Gāṇḍīva was heard with overwhelming intensity.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inescapable moral gravity of war: even when framed as duty, battle manifests as the ruin of the best among men. The thunder of Gāṇḍīva becomes a narrative sign of decisive action, but it also reminds the listener (the king) that choices and alliances culminate in irreversible loss.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, amid the ongoing fighting and heavy hero-casualties, the tremendous sound of Arjuna’s bow, Gāṇḍīva, is distinctly heard—indicating Arjuna’s active, forceful presence on the battlefield.