Shloka 2
Chapter 14: Divyāstra-Prayoga and Ṛṣi Intervention (दिव्यास्त्रप्रयोगः ऋषिसमागमश्च)
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! दशार्हनन्दन महाबाहु भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण अश्व॒ृत्थामाकी चेष्टासे ही उसके मनका भाव पहले ही ताड़ गये थे। उन्होंने अर्जुनसे कहा -- || अश्वत्थामा एवं अर्जुनके छोड़े हुए ब्रह्मास्त्रोंको शान्त करनेके लिये नारदजी और व्यासजीका आगमन अर्जुनार्जुन यदिव्यमस्त्र ते हृदि वर्तते । द्रोणोपदिष्टं तस्थायं काल: सम्प्रति पाण्डव,“अर्जुन! अर्जुन! पाण्डुनन्दन! आचार्य द्रोणका उपदेश किया हुआ जो दिव्य अस्त्र तुम्हारे हृदयमें विद्यमान है, उसके प्रयोगका अब यह समय आ गया है
vaiśampāyana uvāca—rājan! daśārhanandano mahābāhur bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇo ’śvatthāmnaḥ ceṣṭāṃ sa hi tasya manobhāvaṃ pūrvam eva tāḍayām āsa. sa arjunam uvāca—arjuna arjuna yad divyam astraṃ te hṛdi vartate, droṇopadiṣṭaṃ tasya prayoge ’yaṃ kālaḥ samprati pāṇḍava.
Vaiśampāyana said: O King, the mighty-armed Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the delight of the Daśārhas, had already discerned Aśvatthāmā’s intention and the state of his mind. He then addressed Arjuna: “Arjuna, Arjuna—O son of Pāṇḍu! The divine weapon taught to you by Droṇa that abides within your heart—now is the time to employ it.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Discernment and timely action under dharma: Kṛṣṇa reads the opponent’s intent and urges Arjuna to use the divinely taught weapon only when necessity demands it, highlighting responsible, context-bound use of power and sacred knowledge.
In the aftermath of the night massacre, Kṛṣṇa perceives Aśvatthāmā’s dangerous resolve and instructs Arjuna that the moment has come to deploy the divine astra taught by Droṇa—setting the stage for countering an extraordinary weapon-threat.