Shloka 18
अपश्यत् कृतमाकाशमनाकाशं जनार्दनै: । इस प्रकार जब उसके सारे अस्त्र-शस्त्र समाप्त हो गये, तब वह इधर-उधर देखने लगा। उस समय उसे सारा आकाश असंख्य विष्णुओंसे भरा दिखायी दिया ।। व 5 99 द्रोणपुत्रो निरायुध:
apaśyat kṛtam ākāśam anākāśaṃ janārdanaiḥ |
Sañjaya said: When Droṇa’s son found himself bereft of weapons, he looked about in every direction. Then he beheld the entire sky—no longer seeming like empty space at all—filled with countless manifestations of Janārdana (Viṣṇu). The vision signals that when human force is exhausted, the moral order and the divine presence stand revealed, restraining reckless violence and reminding the warrior that power is not absolute.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that when martial strength and personal resources fail, a higher moral and divine reality becomes evident. The vision of innumerable Janārdanas suggests the omnipresence of the divine order that checks unrestrained aggression and reminds the warrior that dharma is not subordinate to brute force.
Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son), having exhausted his weapons, looks around for a way forward. At that moment he experiences a theophany: the sky appears completely filled with countless forms of Janārdana (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa), indicating an overwhelming divine presence surrounding the battlefield situation.