Shloka 16
द्रोणस्य सुपर्णव्यूहः — युधिष्ठिरप्रत्यव्यूहः
Droṇa’s Suparṇa Formation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Counter-array
अथ प्रहस्य बीभत्सुर्ललित्थान् मालवानपि | मावेल्लकांस्त्रिगर्ताश्न॒ यौधेयांक्षार्दयच्छरै:,इसके बाद अर्जुनने हँसकर ललित्थ, मालव, मावेल्लक, त्रिगर्त तथा यौधेय सैनिकोंको बाणोंद्वारा गहरी पीड़ा पहुँचायी
atha prahasya bībhatsur lalitthān mālavān api | māvellakāṁs trigartāṁś ca yaudheyāṁś cārdhayac charaiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors Arjuna, le Terrible au combat, souriant, frappa de ses flèches les guerriers Lalittha, Mālava, Māvellaka, Trigarta et Yaudheya, leur infligeant une douleur aiguë. La scène souligne l’éthique sombre de la guerre des kṣatriya : le moindre instant d’aisance ou d’assurance apparente se change aussitôt en une violence décisive et disciplinée contre des adversaires armés.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral frame of dharmic warfare: a warrior’s duty is to act decisively against armed adversaries in battle. Arjuna’s composed smile contrasts with the severity of his action, emphasizing disciplined resolve rather than cruelty for its own sake.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna attacks multiple allied groups on the battlefield—Lalittha, Mālava, Māvellaka, Trigarta, and Yaudheya—wounding and distressing them with volleys of arrows.