Shloka 39
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
तेन बाणेन निर्विद्धो वृषसेनो विशाम्पते । न्यपतत् स रथे मूढो धनुरुत्सृज्य वीर्यवान्,प्रजानाथ! सात्यकिके बाणसे घायल हो बलवान वृषसेन धनुष छोड़कर मूर्च्छित हो रथपर गिर पड़ा
tena bāṇena nirviddho vṛṣaseno viśāmpate | nyapatat sa rathe mūḍho dhanur utsṛjya vīryavān prajānātha ||
Struck through by that arrow, O lord of the people, the valiant Vṛṣasena—bewildered and overcome—dropped his bow and collapsed upon his chariot. In the grim ethics of battle, this moment marks how even a powerful warrior can be suddenly rendered helpless by a single well-aimed missile, shifting the tide without warning.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the battlefield truth within kṣatriya-dharma: prowess is real, yet fragile—one decisive strike can abruptly reduce even a mighty warrior to helplessness. Ethically, it highlights the impersonal, consequence-driven nature of war where outcomes hinge on skill, timing, and fate rather than mere reputation.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Vṛṣasena has been pierced by an arrow; stunned, he releases his bow and collapses on his chariot, indicating a sudden incapacitation in the ongoing combat.