Shloka 34
अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः
Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle
तस्मिन् विनिहते चास्त्रे भारद्वाजो युधिष्ठिरे । वारुणं याम्यमाग्नेयं त्वाष्टूं सावित्रमेव च
tasmin vinihate cāstre bhāradvājo yudhiṣṭhire | vāruṇaṁ yāmyam āgneyam tvāṣṭraṁ sāvitrām eva ca
Ketika senjata itu telah dinetralisir, Bhāradvāja (Droṇa) lalu melepaskan berturut-turut terhadap Yudhiṣṭhira: Varuṇa-astra, Yama-astra, Agni-astra, Tvaṣṭṛ-astra, dan Sāvitra-astra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare tends to escalate: once one weapon is countered, stronger and more varied forces are unleashed. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—dharma is not merely about power or victory, but about restraint and discernment amid pressures that push combatants toward ever more destructive means.
After a previously deployed missile is rendered ineffective, Droṇa (Bhāradvāja) responds by releasing a sequence of powerful divine astras—associated with Varuṇa, Yama, Agni, Tvaṣṭṛ, and Savitṛ—directed against Yudhiṣṭhira’s side, intensifying the battle’s danger and scale.