Shloka 12
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 42 — Duryodhana’s counsel to Bhīṣma on ajñātavāsa risk and raid strategy
वैयाप्रकोशे निहितो हेमचित्रो दुरासद: । सुफलश्रित्रकोशश्व॒ किड़किणीसायको महान्
vaiyāprakōśe nihito hemacitro durāsadaḥ | suphalāśritrakośaś ca kiḍkiṇīsāyako mahān ||
Uttara said: “There is a great, hard-to-approach weapon kept in the armoury—adorned with gold and richly decorated. It is a mighty bow, famed for its sure effectiveness, and accompanied by arrows whose quivers and fittings jingle with bells.”
उत्तर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the gravity of warfare and the responsibility tied to powerful weapons: formidable arms are not casual possessions but guarded instruments whose use demands courage, restraint, and kṣatriya discipline.
Uttara points out that a magnificent, formidable weapon is stored in the royal armoury—gold-adorned and accompanied by quivers and arrows—setting the scene for arming oneself in the unfolding conflict.