Shloka 6
Pāṇḍya-vadha-anantaram Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Response and the Renewed Battle
स केशवं चार्जुनं चातितेजा विव्याध मर्मस्वतिरौद्रकर्मा बाणै: सुयुक्तैरतितीव्रवेगै- यैराहतो मृत्युरपि व्यथेत
sa keśavaṃ cārjunaṃ cātitejā vivyādha marma-sv atiraudra-karmā | bāṇaiḥ suyuktair atitīvra-vegair yair āhato mṛtyur api vyatheta ||
Sañjaya said: The exceedingly radiant Aśvatthāmā—whose deeds were fiercely dreadful—struck Keśava and Arjuna in their vital points with well-aimed arrows of extremely swift force; the blows were so terrible that even Death itself, if hit by them, would be shaken with pain.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war can escalate into extreme ferocity where even the idea of ‘Death’ is poetically said to suffer—highlighting the ethical peril of unrestrained violence. At the same time, by placing Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna at the center, it hints that mere force is not the final arbiter; destiny, divine protection, and dharma shape outcomes beyond raw martial power.
Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, blazing with martial energy, shoots exceptionally swift and well-aimed arrows that strike Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) and Arjuna in vital spots. The description is hyperbolic to convey the terrifying intensity of the assault and the danger faced by the Pāṇḍava side.