Shloka 24
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
एष ते निशितैर्बाणैर्दर्प हन्मि स्थिरो भव । स धनुष्मान् महाकायस्ततो मामभ्यभाषत
eṣa te niśitair bāṇair darpa hanmi sthiro bhava | sa dhanuṣmān mahākāyas tato mām abhyabhāṣata ||
Arjuna said, “Stand firm. With these sharp arrows I shall shatter your pride.” Then that mighty, great-bodied archer—the Kirāta—spoke back to me, challenging my resolve and meeting my arrogance with equal force.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride (darpa) provokes conflict and how true steadiness (sthira-bhāva) is tested in confrontation; the ethical undertone is that valor must be tempered by self-control, since arrogance invites a corrective challenge.
Arjuna issues a bold threat to crush the opponent’s pride with sharp arrows; immediately the formidable Kirāta, a great-bodied bowman, replies—escalating the encounter into a direct contest of skill and resolve.