Mahabharata 9.21.9 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 9
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
तमायान्तं महाबाहुं प्रवपन्तं शितान् शरान् । जवेनाभ्यपतद् धीमान् हार्दिक्य: शिनिपुजड्भवम्
tam āyāntaṃ mahābāhuṃ pravapantaṃ śitān śarān | javena abhyapatad dhīmān hārdikyaḥ śinipuṇḍbhavam ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മൂർച്ചയുള്ള അമ്പുകൾ മഴപോലെ വർഷിപ്പിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ശിനിവംശജനായ മഹാബാഹു സാത്യകി വരുന്നതു കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, ബുദ്ധിമാനായ ഹാർദിക്യൻ കൃതവർമ്മൻ മഹാവേഗത്തിൽ അവനെ നേരിടാൻ പാഞ്ഞെത്തി।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos in wartime: when an opponent advances with lethal intent, a warrior bound by duty responds decisively. It implicitly points to the tension between strategic necessity and the moral gravity of violence.
Sātyaki advances while raining sharp arrows; Kṛtavarmā, described as wise and swift, charges forward to meet and oppose him, setting up a direct clash between the two warriors.
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