Shloka 18
Book 3, Āraṇyaka-parva — Adhyāya 19: Pradyumna’s Reproach of Withdrawal and the Ethics of Kṣātra Reputation
ते तदस्त्रं विधूयाशु विव्यधू रुधिराशना: । शिरस्युरसि वक््त्रे च स मुमोह पपात च,वे सभी बाण शत्रुओंका रक्त पीनेवाले थे। उन बाणोंने शाल्वके अस्त्रोंका नाश करके उसके मस्तक, छाती और मुखको बींध डाला, जिससे वह मूर्च्छित होकर गिर पड़ा
te tad astraṁ vidhūyāśu vivyadhuḥ rudhirāśanāḥ | śirasy urasi vaktre ca sa mumohā papāta ca ||
Those arrows—said to be ‘drinkers of the enemy’s blood’—swiftly shattered that weapon and then pierced him in the head, the chest, and the face. Struck thus, he lost consciousness and fell, showing how martial power, when met by superior force, can abruptly overturn pride and momentum in battle.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the volatility of battle: even formidable weapons can be neutralized, and arrogance or overconfidence can collapse instantly when met by superior force. It also reflects the epic’s sober view of warfare—power is real, but fragile and subject to reversal.
Vāyudeva describes how deadly arrows quickly destroy an opponent’s weapon and then strike him in the head, chest, and face, causing him to faint and fall to the ground.