Shloka 4
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Arjuna’s defeat of Vṛṣaka–Acalā and the neutralization of Śakuni’s māyā
अथ कार्ष्णयसैर्बाणै: पूर्णकार्मुकनि:सूतै: । अविध्यद् देवकीपुत्र हेमपुड्खै: शिलाशितै:,उन्होंने धनुषको पूर्णरूपसे खींचकर छोड़े हुए लोहेके बने और शानपर चढ़ाकर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णमय पंखयुक्त बाणोंसे देवकीपुत्र श्रीकृष्णको घायल कर दिया
atha kārṣṇayasaḥ bāṇaiḥ pūrṇa-kārmuka-niḥsūtaiḥ | avidhyad devakīputraṃ hema-puṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, with iron arrows—shot forth from fully drawn bows, their tips honed on the whetstone and fitted with golden feathers—they struck Devakī’s son, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The scene underscores the ruthless precision of battle: even the charioteer and guide of dharma is not spared the hazards of war, reminding the listener that violence, once unleashed, does not neatly confine itself to ‘combatants’ alone.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of warfare: once battle is joined, harm can reach even revered figures like Kṛṣṇa. It cautions that violence has spillover effects and that dharma in war requires vigilance, restraint, and accountability, not merely skill.
Sañjaya narrates that Kṛṣṇa is struck by arrows—iron shafts released from fully drawn bows, sharpened on stone and adorned with golden feathers—emphasizing the intensity and technical ferocity of the fighting.