Mahabharata 3.21.3 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 3
Dvārakā’s Distress and the Saubha Engagement (द्वारकाव्यग्रता तथा सौभयुद्धम्)
तानाशुगैरापततो5हमाशु निवार्य हन्तुं खगमान् ख एव । द्विधा त्रिधा चाच्छिदमाशुमुक्ति- स्ततो<न्तरिक्षे निनदो बभूव
tān āśugair āpatato ’ham āśu nivārya hantuṃ khagamān kha eva | dvidhā tridhā cācchidam āśumuktis tato ’ntarikṣe ninado babhūva ||
ពេលសត្រូវទាំងនោះហោះមកយ៉ាងលឿន ខ្ញុំបានទប់ទល់ភ្លាមៗដោយព្រួញលឿន ដោយប្តេជ្ញាថានឹងសម្លាប់សត្រូវដែលរំកិលតាមមេឃទាំងនោះ នៅក្នុងអាកាសតែម្តង។ ដោយព្រួញដែលខ្ញុំបាញ់ចេញយ៉ាងរហ័ស ខ្ញុំបានកាត់ពួកវាជាពីរជាបីផ្នែក ហើយដោយហេតុនោះ សូរស្រែកដ៏ធំបានកើតឡើងពេញមធ្យមអាកាស។
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights protective force used with decisiveness: the speaker first restrains the oncoming threat and then neutralizes it swiftly. Ethically, it frames violence as defensive—aimed at stopping harm rather than indulging aggression.
Vāyu describes an aerial confrontation: hostile ‘sky-goers’ rush in, and he counters them with fast arrows, cutting them into pieces mid-air. The result is a loud uproar resounding through the atmosphere.
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