Shloka 19
Duryodhana’s Anxiety, Bhīṣma’s Reassurance, and Renewed Mobilization (दुर्योधनचिन्ता–भीष्मप्रत्याश्वासन–सेनानिर्गमनम्)
आकर्णप्रहितैस्ती3्ष्णैवेंगवद्धिरजिद्वागै: । अविध्यत् तूर्णमव्यग्र: कुरुराज॑ महोरसि
ākarṇaprahitaiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ vegavaddhir ajidvāgaiḥ | avidhyat tūṇam avyagraḥ kururājaṃ mahorasi ||
Sañjaya dit : De flèches acérées, décochées à pleine traction—rapides comme le vent et irrésistibles dans leur élan—il perça aussitôt le roi des Kuru en sa large poitrine, demeurant ferme, sans trouble ni égarement.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ideal of steadiness (avyagra) and disciplined focus amid chaos. Ethically, it reflects the Mahabharata’s tension: excellence and composure can be virtues, yet in war they serve destructive ends—inviting reflection on duty, consequence, and the cost of conflict.
Sañjaya describes a combat moment where a warrior, using fully drawn and swift arrows, rapidly strikes the Kuru king in the chest, doing so with calm concentration rather than agitation.