Shloka 18
मārkaṇḍeya-ukta yuddha-vyūha-pratyavyūhaḥ
Battle Formations and Countermeasures in the Rāmopākhyāna
गाण्डीवमुक्तांश्न महाशरौघान् पतंगसड्घानिव शीघ्रवेगान् | यदा द्रष्टास्यर्जुनं वीर्यशालिनं तदा स्वबुद्धि प्रतिनिन्दितासि,जब तू गाण्डीव धनुषसे छूटे हुए विशाल बाण-समूहोंको टिड्डियोंकी भाँति वेगसे उड़ते देखेगा और जब अदभुत पराक्रमसे शोभा पानेवाले वीर अर्जुनपर तेरी दृष्टि पड़ेगी, उस समय अपने इस कुकृत्यको याद करके तू स्वयं ही अपनी बुद्धिको धिक्कारेगा
gāṇḍīvamuktāṁś ca mahāśaraughān pataṅgasaṅghān iva śīghravegān | yadā draṣṭāsy arjunaṁ vīryaśālinaṁ tadā svabuddhiṁ pratininditāsi ||
When you behold the great torrents of arrows released from the Gāṇḍīva—swift as swarms of locusts in flight—and when your eyes fall upon Arjuna, radiant with extraordinary valor, then, remembering this wrongful deed of yours, you will condemn your own judgment.
जयद्रथ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrong action clouds judgment, but the encounter with truth—here symbolized by Arjuna’s undeniable prowess—forces moral recognition; the wrongdoer is driven to self-reproach when consequences become visible.
Jayadratha foretells (or acknowledges) that upon seeing Arjuna and the overwhelming volleys of arrows from the Gāṇḍīva, the listener will realize the gravity of the present offense and will condemn their own decision.