Shloka 18
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Anxiety and Sañjaya’s Report on the Pandavas’ Coalition
Kāmyaka Context
यदोद्वहन् प्रवपंश्नैव बाणान् स्थाता55ततायी समरे किरीटी । सृष्टोडन्तक: सर्वहरो विधात्रा भवेद् यथा तद्धदपारणीय:,जब किरीटथारी अर्जुन हाथोंमें अस्त्र-शस्त्र लिये (तृणीरसे) बाण निकालते और चलाते हुए समरभूमिमें खड़े होंगे, उस समय उनसे पार पाना असम्भव हो जायगा। वे ऐसे जान पड़ेंगे, मानो विधाताने किसी दूसरे सर्वसंहारकारी यमराजकी सृष्टि कर दी हो
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: yadodvahan pravapaṁś caiva bāṇān sthātā tatāyī samare kirīṭī | sṛṣṭo ’ntakaḥ sarvaharo vidhātrā bhaved yathā tad dha ’pāraṇīyaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Cuando Arjuna, ceñido con la diadema, se yergue en el campo de batalla, sacando y soltando sus flechas, se vuelve un agresor incontenible. Vencerlo entonces es imposible: parece como si el Creador hubiera forjado otra Muerte, devastadora de todo, arrebatadora de todos.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the awe-inspiring, almost cosmic force of a righteous warrior at the height of his martial duty: when Arjuna fully engages in battle, he becomes ‘insurmountable,’ likened to Death itself. Ethically, it underscores how kṣatriya power, when activated in a just conflict, can appear as an instrument of fate—terrifying, decisive, and difficult to resist.
Vaiśampāyana describes Arjuna on the battlefield: as he draws arrows from his quiver and releases them, he stands as a relentless attacker. The narration intensifies Arjuna’s martial image by comparing him to a newly created Antaka (Death), implying that opponents would find it impossible to withstand or ‘cross’ him in combat.