Shloka 130
स तथा क्षिप्रकारी च दृढहस्तश्न॒ पाण्डव: । प्रमोहं परम गत्वा प्रेक्ष्य त॑ द्रोणजं तत:,युद्धमें फुर्ती करने और दृढ़तापूर्वक हाथ चलानेवाले महायशस्वी पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुन द्रोणकुमारकी ओर देखकर भारी मोहमें पड़ गये और अपने पराक्रमको प्रतिहत हुआ मानने लगे। राजन्! उस समरांगणमें अश्वत्थामाके शरीरकी ओर देखना भी अत्यन्त कठिन हो रहा था
sa tathā kṣiprakārī ca dṛḍhahastaś ca pāṇḍavaḥ | pramohaṃ paramaṃ gatvā prekṣya taṃ droṇajaṃ tataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then that Pāṇḍava—swift in action and firm of hand—on looking toward Droṇa’s son, fell into profound bewilderment. He felt as though his own prowess had been checked; and, O King, on that battlefield even to keep one’s gaze fixed upon Aśvatthāmā’s body became exceedingly difficult.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a disciplined warrior can be overwhelmed by sudden moral and psychological shock when confronted with an opponent’s terrifying force; the passage highlights how inner steadiness is as crucial as martial skill for sustaining dharma in war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna, normally swift and steady in combat, looks toward Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā and is seized by intense bewilderment, feeling his valor obstructed; Aśvatthāmā’s presence appears so formidable that it is hard to even look at him on the battlefield.