Shloka 16
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
अर्जुन च युधां श्रेष्ठ प्राद्रवन्तं महारथम् । अलम्बुषो महाराज राक्षसेन्द्रो न्यवारयत्
arjunaṃ ca yudhāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ prādravantaṃ mahāratham | alambuṣo mahārāja rākṣasendro nyavārayat ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi, lorsque Arjuna—le premier des guerriers—s’élança en avant sur son grand char, Alambuṣa, seigneur des Rākṣasas, l’arrêta et lui barra la route. L’instant rappelle que, dans la cohue du combat, même le héros le plus juste et le plus capable peut être retardé par un adversaire puissant, éprouvant sa résolution et sa constance au cœur du chaos.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a dharmic and supremely skilled warrior may face sudden impediments; the ethical emphasis is on maintaining resolve and clarity under pressure, recognizing that victory depends not only on strength but also on steadiness amid strategic resistance.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna, rushing forward as a great chariot-warrior, is intercepted and halted by Alambuṣa, a powerful Rākṣasa leader, indicating a tactical check on Arjuna’s advance.