Shloka 15
अर्जुन-माहात्म्य-चिन्ता
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Arjuna’s Strategic Supremacy
अपि चास्यन्निवाभाति निध्नन्निव धनंजय:
api cāsyannivābhāti nidhnanniva dhanaṃjayaḥ
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Even so, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) appears as though he were hurling (his weapons), as though he were striking down (his foes).”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how appearances and apprehensions shape judgment: Dhṛtarāṣṭra interprets Arjuna’s stance as already ‘throwing’ and ‘slaying,’ reflecting the moral pressure and fear surrounding impending war and the perceived inevitability of conflict.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Dhṛtarāṣṭra comments on Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), describing him as seeming ready to launch attacks and cut down enemies—an image of imminent battle and the king’s anxious reading of the situation.