Shloka 5
Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas
Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode
स गत्वा कुरुसेनाया: समीपं हयकोविद: । पुनरावर्तयामास तान् हयान् वातरंहस:
sa gatvā kurusenāyāḥ samīpaṃ hayakovidaḥ | punarāvartayāmāsa tān hayān vātarāṃhasaḥ ||
S’étant approché de l’armée des Kuru, l’expert cavalier—rapide comme le vent—fit aussitôt faire volte-face à ces chevaux, se retirant avec adresse hors de la proximité de l’ennemi.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and speed are most effective when governed by restraint and clear judgment; tactical withdrawal can be as dharmic and necessary as direct confrontation.
A skilled horseman approaches close to the Kuru forces and then turns the horses back, indicating a controlled maneuver—approach, assess, and withdraw—rather than an uncontrolled charge.