Shloka 20
Duryodhana’s Account of Gandharva Defeat and the Pandavas’ Intervention (दुर्योधनवर्णितो गन्धर्वसंग्रामः)
गाण्डीवधन्वा च वृकोदरश्न संरम्भिणावनन््तककालकल्पौ । न शेषयेतां युधि शत्रुसेनां शरान् किरन्तावशनिप्रकाशान्
gāṇḍīvadhanvā ca vṛkodaraś ca saṃrambhiṇāv anantakālakalpau | na śeṣayetāṃ yudhi śatrusenāṃ śarān kirantāv aśaniprakāśān ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Arjuna, portador del Gāṇḍīva, y Bhīma (Vṛkodara), ambos feroces en su arremetida y como el fin de edades sin término, no dejarían resto alguno del ejército enemigo en la batalla, mientras esparcían una lluvia de flechas fulgurantes como el rayo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the awe and danger of martial power: when righteous warriors unleash their full might, war becomes near-apocalyptic. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma—valor and duty in battle—while also hinting at the ethical weight of destruction that such duty can entail.
Vaiśampāyana describes Arjuna and Bhīma in combat, portraying them as overwhelmingly fierce. They rain down lightning-bright arrows and are said to leave no remnant of the enemy forces on the battlefield.