Shloka 26

Virāṭa’s Conciliation and Uttara’s Account of the Unseen Champion

Bṛhannadā/Arjuna

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं सर्वास्त्रिविदुषोरस्त्रयुद्धमवर्तत । अस्त्रयुद्धे तु निर्वत्ते शरयुद्धमवर्तत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! इस प्रकार सम्पूर्ण अस्त्रोंके ज्ञाता भीष्म और अर्जुनमें कुछ कालतक दिव्यास्त्रोंका युद्ध चलता रहा। उसके समाप्त हो जानेपर पुनः बाणयुद्ध प्रारम्भ हुआ

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca evaṁ sarvāstraviduṣor astrayuddham avartata | astrayuddhe tu nirvṛtte śarayuddham avartata ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഓ ജനമേജയാ! ഇങ്ങനെ എല്ലാ അസ്ത്രങ്ങളിലും പ്രാവീണ്യമുള്ള ഭീഷ്മനും അർജുനനും തമ്മിൽ കുറേ നേരം ദിവ്യാസ്ത്രയുദ്ധം നടന്നു. ആ അസ്ത്രയുദ്ധം അവസാനിച്ചപ്പോൾ വീണ്ടും ശരയുദ്ധം, അഥവാ അമ്പയുദ്ധം, ആരംഭിച്ചു.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

सर्वentire/whole

अस्त्रweapon (missile-weapon)

विदुषोःof the two knowers

अस्त्रweapon (missile-weapon)

युद्धम्battle

अवर्ततwent on / took place

अस्त्रin (the) weapon-

युद्धेin the battle

तुbut/indeed

निर्वृत्तेwhen finished/ended

शरarrow

युद्धम्battle

अवर्ततwent on / began and continued

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Bhīṣma

Arjuna

astra (divine weapons)

śara (arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined warfare: even when divine weapons are employed, combat proceeds in ordered phases, implying restraint, mastery, and adherence to the conventions of kṣatriya conduct rather than uncontrolled violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīṣma and Arjuna, both experts in all weapon-systems, first engage in an exchange of astras (missile weapons, often mantra-empowered). After that phase ends, they shift back to a straightforward arrow-to-arrow duel.