Shloka 1
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत विराटपर्वके अन्तर्गत गोहरणपर्वमें उत्तरयोग्रहके समय यौओके लौटनेसे सम्बन्ध रखनेवाला तिरपनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ ५३ ॥। (दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका १३ शलोक मिलाकर कुल २६३ श्लोक हैं।) #-+- “5 (9) &:..... +--:..& चतुष्पठ्चाशत्तमोडध्याय: अर्जुनका कर्णपर आक्रमण, विकर्णकी पराजय, शत्रुंतप और संग्रामजित्॒का वध, कर्ण और अर्जुनका युद्ध तथा कर्णका पलायन वैशम्पायन उवाच स शत्रुसेनां तरसा प्रणुद्य गास्ता विजित्याथ धनुर्धराग्रय: । दुर्योधनायाभिमुखं प्रयातो भूयो रणं सोडभिचिकीर्षमाण:
vaiśampāyana uvāca | sa śatrusenāṃ tarasā praṇudya gāstā vijityātha dhanurdharāgryaḥ | duryodhanāyābhimukhaṃ prayāto bhūyo raṇaṃ so 'bhicikīrṣamāṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having swiftly driven back the enemy host and then recovered the cattle, the foremost of archers set out facing Duryodhana, intent on engaging once more in battle. The verse highlights disciplined valor: victory is not treated as license for cruelty, but as a duty-bound response to aggression, followed by readiness to confront the principal instigator.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial action as duty-oriented: Arjuna first secures the immediate objective (recovering the stolen cattle) and then turns to confront the chief wrongdoer. Valor is shown as disciplined and purposeful—protecting what must be protected and addressing the source of adharma rather than indulging in aimless violence.
After defeating and driving back the opposing forces and reclaiming the cattle taken in the raid, Arjuna advances directly toward Duryodhana, ready to renew combat. This sets the stage for further clashes with leading Kaurava warriors in the Goharaṇa episode of the Virāṭa narrative.