Shloka 21
Chapter 30: Formation Disruption, Competing War-Cries, and Nīla’s Fall
Droṇa-parva
ततो दिव्यास्त्रविच्छूर: कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजय: । विसृजन्निषुजालानि सहसा तान्यताडयत्,तदनन्तर दिव्यास्त्रोंके ज्ञाता शूरवीर कुन्तीपुत्र धनंजय सहसा बाणसमूहोंकी वर्षा करते हुए उन सबको मारने लगे
tato divyāstravicchūraḥ kuntīputro dhanañjayaḥ | visṛjanniṣujālāni sahasā tānyatāḍayat ||
Sañjaya said: Then Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), the son of Kuntī—brilliant in the use of celestial weapons (divyāstra)—suddenly unleashed dense nets of arrows and struck down those foes. The scene underscores the terrible efficiency of divinely empowered warfare, where mastery and resolve can swiftly decide life and death on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary power (divyāstra) in war magnifies responsibility: skill and divine weaponry can end conflicts swiftly, but they also intensify the ethical weight borne by the warrior who chooses to deploy them.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna, famed for mastery of celestial weapons, suddenly releases a heavy barrage—‘nets’ of arrows—and strikes down the opposing fighters indicated by the prior context of the battle.