Shloka 6
तूष्णीं बभूवू राजान: सर्व एव विशाम्पते | अर्जुनस्तु कटाक्षेण जिद्दां विप्रेक्ष्य पार्षतम्
tūṣṇīṁ babhūvur rājānaḥ sarva eva viśāmpate | arjunastu kaṭākṣeṇa jiddāṁ viprekṣya pārṣatam ||
Sañjaya said: All the kings fell silent, O lord of the people. Arjuna, however, with a mere sidelong glance, looked toward the son of Pṛṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), as if to signal resolve and readiness amid the tense moral weight of the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined restraint and purposeful communication: while many leaders lapse into silence under pressure, a dharmic warrior-leader like Arjuna conveys intent through controlled, minimal action—suggesting steadiness, clarity, and responsibility in crisis.
In the midst of the Drona Parva events, the assembled kings become silent. Arjuna then looks—by a brief sidelong glance—toward Dhṛṣṭadyumna (the Pāñcāla commander), indicating attention, coordination, or a tacit signal as the battle situation tightens.