Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 30
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 33 — Kuru Cattle-Raid and Matsya Mobilization (भूमिंजय-प्रेरणा)
आकर्णपूर्णेन तदा धनुषा प्रत्यदृश्यत । सुशर्मा सायकांस्तीक्ष्णान् क्षिपते च पुन: पुन:
ākarṇapūrṇena tadā dhanuṣā pratyadṛśyata | suśarmā sāyakāṁs tīkṣṇān kṣipate ca punaḥ punaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then he was seen standing ready for battle, his bow drawn back to the ear. Suśarmā, again and again, kept hurling sharp arrows in a continuous shower. Seeing this, the warriors of the Matsya land grew enraged at the Trigartas and, revealing their celestial weapons, urged their chariot-horses forward.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos: readiness, skill, and resolve in battle, while also showing how aggression provokes collective response—anger and retaliation can rapidly escalate into the deployment of extraordinary (divine) means.
Suśarmā repeatedly showers sharp arrows, and an opposing warrior is seen with his bow fully drawn. The Matsya fighters, angered at the Trigartas, press forward in their chariots and bring forth divine weapons, signaling an intensification of the fight.