Shloka 29
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
तस्य शब्देन वित्रेसुर्भयार्ताश्च विदुद्र॒ुवु: । मुमुचुश्नाश्रु शोकार्ता: शुशुचुश्चापि सैन्धवा:
tasya śabdena vitrēsurbhayārtāś ca vidudruvuḥ | mumucuś cāśru śokārtāḥ śuśucuś cāpi saindhavāḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: Al oír aquel sonido, se estremecieron de terror; los heridos por el miedo huyeron en todas direcciones. Y los guerreros saindhavas, abrumados por la pena, dejaron caer lágrimas y se lamentaron en voz alta—tan espantoso fue el tañido del Gāṇḍīva que quebró su valor y presagió la ruina.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner states—fear and grief—can collapse martial resolve even before weapons strike. In the epic’s ethical frame, true strength is not only physical prowess but steadiness of mind; panic leads to flight, while attachment and loss lead to lamentation.
A formidable sound—understood in context as the twang of Arjuna’s Gāṇḍīva—reverberates across the field. Hearing it, many warriors panic and flee, while the Saindhavas, already burdened by impending defeat and loss, weep and mourn.