Shloka 54
अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः
Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon
तत्रार्जुनेन मुक्तानां पततां वै शरीरिषु । पर्वतेष्विव वज्भाणां शराणां श्रूयते स्वन:,अर्जुनके छोड़े हुए बाण जब देहधारियोंपर पड़ते थे, तब पर्वतोंपर गिरनेवाले वज्रके समान भयंकर शब्द सुनायी देता था
tatrārjunena muktānāṃ patatāṃ vai śarīriṣu | parvateṣv iva vajrāṇāṃ śarāṇāṃ śrūyate svanaḥ ||
Di sana, ketika panah-panah Arjuna yang telah dilepaskan menimpa para prajurit yang bernyawa, terdengarlah gemuruh mengerikan—laksana halilintar menghantam pegunungan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immense power of trained action: when force is unleashed with mastery, its effects are unmistakable and grave. Implicitly, it reminds the listener that warfare is not abstract—its impact is real, terrifying, and ethically weighty, demanding responsibility from those who wield such power.
Vaiśampāyana describes a battlefield moment where Arjuna’s released arrows strike warriors, producing a fearsome sound compared to thunderbolts crashing on mountains—an image meant to convey both Arjuna’s dominance and the intensity of the combat.