Shloka 18
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
चरन्तीव महाविद्युन्मुष्णन्ती नयनप्रभाम् । अलातमिव चाविद्धं गाण्डीवं समदृश्यत
carantīva mahāvidyun muṣṇantī nayanaprabhām | alātam iva cāviddhaṃ gāṇḍīvaṃ samadṛśyata ||
Sañjaya dit : Le Gāṇḍīva d’Arjuna apparaissait tel un grand éclair, comme s’il dérobait jusqu’à la clarté des yeux ; et, pareil à un brandon enflammé qu’on fait tournoyer en cercle, on le voyait virevolter avec une rapidité fulgurante — image d’une puissance guerrière irrésistible sur le champ de bataille.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how disciplined skill and righteous resolve (dharma-yuddha spirit) manifest as overwhelming effectiveness: Arjuna’s weapon is portrayed not merely as an object, but as focused power that eclipses ordinary perception—suggesting that mastery joined to purpose becomes awe-inspiring and decisive.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra what is seen on the battlefield: Arjuna is actively brandishing his bow Gāṇḍīva. Its rapid motion and brilliance are compared to lightning and to the circular streak of a whirled firebrand, emphasizing speed, intensity, and imminent combat.