Shloka 38
भीष्मस्य जलप्रार्थना — अर्जुनस्य पर्जन्यास्त्रप्रयोगः — दुर्योधनं प्रति सन्ध्युपदेशः
Bhīṣma’s request for water; Arjuna’s Parjanya-astra; counsel to Duryodhana on reconciliation
तस्य शक्ति महावेगां भगदत्तो महारथ: । चिक्षेप समरे वीर: स्वर्णदण्डां महामते,महामते! उस समरभूमिमें वीर महारथी भगदत्तने भीमसेनपर स्वर्णमय दण्डसे विभूषित एक महावेगशालिनी शक्ति चलायी
tasya śaktiṁ mahāvegāṁ bhagadatto mahārathaḥ | cikṣepa samare vīraḥ svarṇadaṇḍāṁ mahāmate ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors, au cœur de la mêlée, le héros, grand guerrier de char Bhagadatta, lança contre lui une lance (śakti) d’une vitesse prodigieuse, ornée d’un fût d’or.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya-world of Kurukṣetra where duty and prowess manifest as decisive action; ethically, it reminds the reader that war rapidly intensifies through reciprocal displays of force, increasing the burden of harm even when framed as battlefield duty.
Sañjaya reports that Bhagadatta, a renowned chariot-warrior, hurls a very swift spear with a golden shaft at his opponent in the thick of combat, marking a sharp escalation in the exchange of deadly weapons.