Shloka 8
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Arjuna’s defeat of Vṛṣaka–Acalā and the neutralization of Śakuni’s māyā
ततो नागस्य तद् वर्म व्यधमत् पाकशासनि: । शरजालेन महता तद्ू व्यशीर्यत भूतले,तब इन्द्रकुमारने भारी बाण-वर्षके द्वारा उस हाथीके कवचको काट डाला, जिससे कवच जीर्ण-शीर्ण होकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
tato nāgasya tad varma vyadhamat pākaśāsaniḥ | śarajālena mahatā tad vyāśīryata bhūtale ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors Pākaśāsani (Arjuna), déversant un vaste filet de flèches, déchira l’armure de cet éléphant. Mise en lambeaux et brisée, la cuirasse tomba sur la terre—image de ce que, dans la fureur de la guerre, même les protections les plus puissantes deviennent vaines lorsque l’adresse et la force s’exercent sans relâche.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh realism of battlefield dharma: in war, protective advantages (armor, might, even the strength of an elephant) can be undone by superior skill and sustained effort. It also hints at the impermanence of external safeguards when confronted by determined agency.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna unleashing a dense barrage of arrows that slices through the elephant’s armor, causing it to break apart and fall to the ground.