Shloka 48
अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः
Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon
दर्शयन् वीक्षमाणानामस्त्रमुग्रपराक्रम: । इषुभिस्तूर्णमाकाशं बहुभिश्व समावृणोत्
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
darśayan vīkṣamāṇānām astram ugraparākramaḥ |
iṣubhis tūrṇam ākāśaṃ bahubhiś ca samāvṛṇot ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Pour montrer aux spectateurs son art des armes, le guerrier à la puissance redoutable couvrit en un instant le ciel d’une multitude de flèches.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that prowess (parākrama) is ethically shaped by intention and control: the same skill that can kill can also be demonstrated with restraint, reminding readers that dharma in warfare depends on purpose, measure, and self-mastery.
A formidable warrior, in full view of spectators, demonstrates his archery by rapidly releasing many arrows, so that the sky appears covered—an image used in the epic to convey overwhelming speed, mastery, and battlefield dominance.