Shloka 23
अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः
Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon
एवं प्रववृते युद्ध भारद्वाजकिरीटिनो: । सम॑ विमुञज्चतो संख्ये विशिखान् दीप्ततेजस:
evaṁ pravavṛte yuddhe bhāradvāja-kirīṭinoḥ | samaṁ vimuñcato saṅkhye viśikhān dīpta-tejasaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Ainsi s’engagea la bataille entre Droṇa, fils de Bhāradvāja, et Arjuna, le porteur du diadème. Sur le champ de combat, tous deux, d’une résolution égale, se mirent à décocher l’un contre l’autre des flèches flamboyantes — une rencontre qui manifeste l’éthique austère de la guerre des kṣatriya, où l’art et le devoir s’éprouvent sans recul.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic: when duty calls, warriors meet openly in combat, matching skill with skill. It frames warfare not as chaos but as a disciplined test of resolve and mastery, where neither side yields in commitment.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that a direct battle breaks out between Droṇa and Arjuna. Both stand in the battlefield and shower each other with brilliant arrows, indicating an intense, evenly matched duel.