Shloka 11
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 54 — Missile-Exchange and Tactical Redirection
Arjuna, Aśvatthāman, Karṇa
तं शात्रवाणां गणबाधितारं कर्माणि कुर्वन्तममानुषाणि । शतन्रुंतपः पार्थममृष्यमाण: समार्दयच्छरवर्षेण पार्थम्,शत्रुदलके वीरोंका वध करनेवाले कुन्तीनन्दन अर्जुनको इस प्रकार अमानुषिक पराक्रम करते देख शत्रुंतप नामक वीर उनके सामने आया। वह अर्जुनका पराक्रम न सह अपनी बाणवर्षसे पार्थको पीड़ा देने लगा
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
taṃ śātravāṇāṃ gaṇa-bādhitāraṃ karmāṇi kurvantaṃ amānuṣāṇi |
śatruṃtapaḥ pārtham amṛṣyamāṇaḥ samārdhayac chara-varṣeṇa pārtham ||
ಶತ್ರುಸೈನ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ನುಗ್ಗಿ ನಾಶಮಾಡುವ ಪಾರ್ಥ ಅರ್ಜುನನು ಇಂತಹ ಅಮಾನುಷ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ಶತ್ರುಂತಪನು ಸಹಿಸಲಾರದೆ, ಬಾಣಗಳ ಘನಮಳೆಯ ಮೂಲಕ ಪಾರ್ಥನನ್ನು ತೀವ್ರವಾಗಿ ಒತ್ತಡಕ್ಕೆ ಒಳಪಡಿಸಿದನು।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya world of tested courage and endurance: extraordinary prowess provokes challenge, and a warrior’s response is to meet strength with strength. Ethically, it frames combat as a contest of valor and resolve rather than mere hatred—though envy and intolerance (amṛṣyamāṇaḥ) can also drive escalation.
Arjuna is displaying overwhelming, almost superhuman battlefield skill against enemy troops. Seeing this, the warrior Śatruṃtapa cannot tolerate Arjuna’s dominance and advances to confront him directly, attacking by pouring a heavy rain of arrows to harry and wound him.