Shloka 5
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Arjuna’s defeat of Vṛṣaka–Acalā and the neutralization of Śakuni’s māyā
अग्निस्पर्शसमास्तीक्ष्णा भगदत्तेन चोदिता: । निर्भिद्य देवकीपुत्र क्षितिं जग्मु: सुवासस:,भगदत्तके चलाये हुए अग्निके सस्पशके समान तीक्ष्ण और सुन्दर पंखवाले बाण देवकीपुत्र श्रीकृष्णके शरीरको छेदकर धरतीमें समा गये
agnisparśa-samās tīkṣṇā bhagadattena coditāḥ | nirbhidya devakī-putraṃ kṣitiṃ jagmuḥ su-vāsasaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Urged on by Bhagadatta, those sharp arrows—like the touch of fire and adorned with fine plumage—pierced Devakī’s son, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and sank into the earth.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the intensity of righteous war (dharma-yuddha) where even revered figures like Kṛṣṇa, though acting as a non-combatant charioteer, are not spared danger. It invites reflection on the ethical strain of battle: skill and fury can be directed anywhere, yet dharma requires discernment about targets, intent, and restraint.
Bhagadatta releases sharp, fire-like arrows. They strike and pierce Kṛṣṇa (Devakī’s son) and continue onward to embed themselves in the ground, emphasizing both the power of the missiles and the peril faced by Arjuna’s charioteer amid the fighting.