Shloka 15
Arjuna Confronted by Saindhava Forces during the Aśvamedha Circuit (श्वेतवाहनस्य सैन्धवसंघर्षः)
अर्जुनस्तु महाबाहु: शरैररिनिघातिभि: । वारयामास तान् बाणांस्तदद्भुतमिवा भवत्,परंतु महाबाहु अर्जुनने अपने शत्रुधाती सायकोंद्वारा उन सारे बाणोंको पीछे लौटा दिया। वह एक अद्भुत-सी घटना हुई
arjunas tu mahābāhuḥ śarair ari-nighātibhiḥ | vārayāmāsa tān bāṇāṁs tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Mighty-armed Arjuna, with arrows that were deadly to his foes, checked and turned back all those incoming shafts. The sight of that effortless counter was like a wonder—an extraordinary moment on the battlefield, displaying disciplined mastery rather than mere rage.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in violent conflict, excellence is shown through disciplined control and precise action. Arjuna’s response is not portrayed as uncontrolled fury but as mastery—meeting aggression with skillful restraint and protection.
As a volley of arrows comes toward him, Arjuna uses his own enemy-slaying arrows to block and drive back the incoming shafts. The narrator highlights the feat as astonishing, emphasizing Arjuna’s superior archery.