Shloka 42
यथेष्टमश्मवर्षेण प्रवर्षिष्ये रणे स्थित:,'मैं युद्धमें स्थित होकर अपनी इच्छाके अनुसार पत्थरोंकी वर्षा करूँगा, लोहेकी चोंचवाले पक्षियोंद्वारा बड़े-बड़े महारथियोंको भगा दूँगा तथा शत्रुओंपर तेज धारवाले फरसे भी बरसाऊँगा; इसमें तनिक भी संशय नहीं है
sañjaya uvāca | yatheṣṭam aśmavarṣeṇa pravarṣiṣye raṇe sthitaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Standing firm in the midst of battle, I shall, as I please, shower a hail of stones. By means of iron-beaked birds I shall drive away even the great chariot-warriors, and I shall also rain down sharp-edged axes upon the enemy—of this there is not the slightest doubt.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the heat of war, speech can become inflated with violent certainty—boasts of overwhelming force and fantastical weapons. Ethically, it serves as a caution: confidence untethered from restraint and dharma can escalate cruelty and dehumanize the opponent.
Sañjaya reports a combatant’s fierce declaration from the battlefield: he claims he will unleash a barrage of stones, use iron-beaked birds to scatter even great chariot-warriors, and rain sharp axes upon enemies, asserting there is no doubt about his capability.