Shloka 26
Bhagadatta’s Astra and the Fall of the Prāgjyotiṣa King (भगदत्त-वधः / वैष्णवास्त्र-प्रसङ्गः)
ततः प्राग्ज्योतिषो राजा शरवर्ष निवार्य तत् शरैर्जघ्ने महाबाहुं पार्थ कृष्णं च मारिष
tataḥ prāgjyotiṣo rājā śaravarṣaṁ nivārya tat śarair jaghne mahābāhuṁ pārthaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ ca māriṣa
Sañjaya dit : Alors le roi de Prāgjyotiṣa, ayant contenu cette pluie de flèches, frappa de ses propres traits Pārtha aux bras puissants, ainsi que Kṛṣṇa, ô vénérable. Dans l’éthique implacable du combat, la défense est aussitôt suivie du contre-coup, et même les plus grands héros doivent subir les conséquences d’une détermination guerrière sans relâche.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic central to kṣatriya-dharma: one must meet aggression with disciplined defense and timely counteraction. It also underscores that even the greatest heroes are subject to the reciprocal force of war—actions invite responses, and prowess must be matched with vigilance.
Sañjaya reports that the king of Prāgjyotiṣa (Bhagadatta) first wards off an incoming shower of arrows and then retaliates by striking both Arjuna (Pārtha) and Kṛṣṇa with his own arrows.