Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
गाण्डीवधोष: स्तनयित्नुकल्पो जगाम पार्थस्य नभो दिशक्ष । जग्मुश्न॒ बाणा विमला: प्रसन्ना: सर्वा दिश: पाण्डवचापमुक्ता:,अर्जुनके गाण्डीव धनुषका गम्भीर घोष मेघकी गर्जनाके समान आकाश तथा सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें फैल गया तथा उनके धनुषके छूटे हुए निर्मल एवं स्वच्छ बाण सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें बरसने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
gāṇḍīvaghoṣaḥ stanayitnukalpo jagāma pārthasya nabho diśaś ca |
jagmuś ca bāṇā vimalāḥ prasannāḥ sarvā diśaḥ pāṇḍavacāpamuktāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The thunderous sound of Pārtha’s Gāṇḍīva—like a rain-cloud’s roar—spread through the sky and across the quarters. And the clear, gleaming arrows released from the Pāṇḍava’s bow flew forth, filling every direction, as the battle’s momentum turned toward decisive action.
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethos of resolute action in a righteous struggle: when duty calls, hesitation gives way to focused, disciplined force. The imagery of thunder and all-pervading arrows conveys moral and strategic decisiveness rather than mere violence.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s battle-readiness: the roar of the Gāṇḍīva resounds through the sky and directions, and Arjuna’s arrows, bright and swift, surge outward in every quarter—signaling an intense phase of combat on Kurukṣetra.