Shloka 22
Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds
कच्चिद् गाण्डीवशब्देन न प्रणश्यति वै बलम् । यद्व: सभैरवं कुर्वन्नर्जुनो भूशमन्वयात्,जिस समय अर्जुनने अत्यन्त भयंकर सिंहनाद करते हुए तुमलोगोंका पीछा किया था, उस समय गाण्डीवकी टंकार सुनकर हमारी सेना भाग तो नहीं गयी थी?
kaccid gāṇḍīva-śabdena na praṇaśyati vai balam | yad vaḥ sabhairavaṁ kurvann arjuno bhūśam anvayāt ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Katakanlah—apakah bala tentara kita tidak runtuh oleh gentar mendengar dentang Gāṇḍīva? Ketika Arjuna, mengaum laksana singa yang menggetarkan, mengejar kalian tanpa henti di medan laga, apakah bunyi busurnya tidak membuat pasukan kita lari tercerai-berai?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how morale and fear can decide outcomes in war: a warrior’s reputation and the sensory shock of his presence (here, Arjuna’s roar and the Gāṇḍīva’s twang) can shatter an army’s resolve even before physical defeat, underscoring the ethical demand on kṣatriyas to maintain steadiness under terror.
Vaiśampāyana recalls a moment when Arjuna pursued the opposing side with a frightening battle-cry; he asks anxiously whether the Kaurava force broke and fled merely upon hearing the famous sound of Arjuna’s bow, the Gāṇḍīva.