Shloka 45
अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः
Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon
महामना द्रोण और पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनका वह रोषपूर्ण युद्ध वृत्रासुर और इन्द्रके समान भयंकर प्रतीत होता था ।। तौ गजाविव चासाद्य विषाणाग्रै: परस्परम् । शरै: पूर्णायतोत्सूष्टैरन्योन्यमभिजषध्नतु:,जैसे दो हाथी एक-दूसरेसे भिड़कर दाँतोंके अग्रभागसे प्रहार करते हों, उसी प्रकार वे दोनों धनुषको अच्छी तरह खींचकर छोड़े हुए बाणोंद्वारा एक-दूसरेको घायल कर रहे थे
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
mahāmanā droṇaḥ pāṇḍunandana arjunaś ca tasya roṣapūrṇasya yuddhasya vṛtrāsura-indrayor iva bhayaṅkaraṃ pratibhāti sma ||
tau gajāv iva cāsādya viṣāṇāgraiḥ parasparam |
śaraiḥ pūrṇāyato-tsṛṣṭair anyonyam abhijaghnatuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Pertarungan penuh amarah antara Droṇa yang berhati luhur dan Arjuna putra Pāṇḍu tampak mengerikan seperti perang Vṛtrāsura melawan Indra. Bagaikan dua gajah saling menerjang dan menghantam dengan ujung gading, keduanya menarik busur sampai penuh lalu melepaskan panah, saling melukai dalam tukar-serang yang sengit.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wrath (roṣa) magnifies the terror and destructiveness of conflict: even noble warriors, when driven by anger, turn battle into something cosmic and dreadful. It implicitly cautions that martial excellence should be governed by dharma and restraint, not by uncontrolled passion.
Vaiśampāyana describes Droṇa and Arjuna locked in a fierce duel. Their encounter is compared to Indra’s mythic fight with Vṛtra, and to two elephants colliding—both images emphasizing the intensity of their fully drawn, rapidly exchanged arrow-strikes as they wound each other.