Shloka 26
द्रोणपर्व — द्विनवति-तमोऽध्यायः
Sātyaki Pressed by Kauravas; Duryodhana and Kṛtavarmā Engagements
न संदधन् न चाकर्षन् न विमुज्चन् न चोद्वहन् । मण्डलेनैव धनुषा नृत्यन् पार्थ: सम दृश्यते,उस समय अर्जुन मण्डलाकार धनुषके साथ सब ओर नृत्य करते हुए-से दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे। वे कब धनुषपर बाणोंको रखते, कब प्रत्यंचा खींचते, कब बाण छोड़ते और कब उन्हें तरकशसे निकालते हैं, यह कोई नहीं देख पाता था
na sandadhan na cākarṣan na vimujcan na codvahan | maṇḍalenaiva dhanuṣā nṛtyan pārthaḥ sama dṛśyate |
Sañjaya dit : Arjuna semblait danser de tous côtés, son arc décrivant un cercle parfait. Nul ne pouvait discerner l’instant où il posait la flèche, où il bandait la corde, où il la lâchait, ou où il la tirait du carquois—tant sa vitesse et sa maîtrise étaient grandes dans cette guerre juste et pourtant effroyable.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined mastery (abhyāsa) and focused action in the midst of conflict: when skill is perfected and the mind is steady, even complex actions become seamless and almost imperceptible. In the epic’s ethical frame, such prowess is meant to serve kṣatriya-dharma—protection of order—though it unfolds within the tragedy of war.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna’s archery is so swift that observers cannot track the sequence of actions—nocking, drawing, releasing, and taking arrows from the quiver. His bow seems to trace a circle, and his movements look like a dance as he fights on the battlefield.