Shloka 25
Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure
Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin
आददत् संदधरन्नेषून् दृष्ट: कैश्वचिद् रणेडर्जुन: । विमुज्चन् वा शरान् शीघ्र दृश्यन्ते वै नरा हता:,उस समय रणभूमिमें किसीने यह नहीं देखा कि अर्जुन कब बाण लेते, कब उनका संधान करते अथवा कब उन्हें छोड़ते हैं? केवल उनके द्वारा शीघ्रतापूर्वक मारे गये मनुष्य ही दृष्टिगोचर होते थे
ādadat saṃdadharan eṣūn dṛṣṭaḥ kaiśvacid raṇe ’rjunaḥ | vimuñcan vā śarān śīghraṃ dṛśyante vai narā hatāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: On that battlefield, no one could see Arjuna—when he took up his arrows, when he set them to the bow, or when he released them. Only the men struck down by him in swift succession came into view. The verse underscores the overwhelming mastery of a righteous warrior whose skill makes the act itself invisible, while its grave consequence—death in war—stands starkly before all.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how consummate skill in one’s duty (here, a kṣatriya’s warfare) can render the action itself imperceptible, while its moral weight and consequences remain undeniable. It invites reflection on responsibility in action: mastery does not erase the gravity of harm done in war.
Sañjaya reports Arjuna’s extraordinary speed and precision in battle: observers cannot track the stages of his archery—taking, nocking, and releasing arrows—because they occur too fast; only the fallen warriors reveal the effect of his volleys.