Shloka 19
Ulūpī–Citravāhinī Saṃvāda: Dhanaṃjaya-patana and Prāya-threat
स तत्र राजा तं वीर॑ शरसंघैरनेकश: । अर्दयामास निशितैराशीविषविषोपमै:,राजा बभ्रुवाहनने वहाँ अपने वीर पिताको विषैले साँपोंके समान जहरीले और तेज किये हुए सैकड़ों बाण-समूहोंद्वारा बींधकर अनेक बार पीड़ित किया
sa tatra rājā taṃ vīraṃ śarasaṃghair anekaśaḥ | ardayāmāsa niśitair āśīviṣaviṣopamaiḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Allí el rey hostigó repetidas veces a aquel héroe con andanadas de flechas—afiladas y ponzoñosas como serpientes venenosas—atravesándolo una y otra vez y causándole grave dolor. La escena subraya cómo, en la ceguera de la batalla y la rivalidad, incluso los lazos de sangre pueden quedar anulados por el duro ímpetu de la guerra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between kṣatriya conduct in battle and the claims of kinship: warfare can drive one to inflict severe harm even upon a revered opponent, reminding the reader that dharma in conflict is fraught and that violence carries real suffering regardless of justification.
In the encounter described, the king repeatedly strikes the opposing hero with many sharp arrows likened to venomous serpents, wounding and tormenting him—an intense moment within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s martial episode.