Shloka 52
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
हयान् ध्वजं धनुर्मुष्टिमुभौ तौ पार्ष्णिसारथी । स तथा भियद्यमानेषु कार्मुकेषु पुन: पुन:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
hayān dhvajaṃ dhanurmuṣṭim ubhau tau pārṣṇisārathī |
sa tathā bhiyadyamāneṣu kārmukeṣu punaḥ punaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Arjuna menumbangkan kuda-kuda Satyajit dan panjinya, mematahkan busurnya serta tangan yang menggenggam busur; dia juga melumpuhkan pengawal sisi dan saisnya. Maka, apabila busurnya berkali-kali hancur dan kudanya terbunuh, Satyajit melarikan diri dari medan perang. Melihatnya berpaling daripada pertempuran, Raja Drupada dari Pāñcāla menurunkan hujan anak panah yang deras ke atas Arjuna, putera Pāṇḍu; dan Arjuna, terunggul antara para pahlawan yang menang, pun memulakan pertempuran besar dengannya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights kṣatriya-dharma in action: martial excellence is shown not merely by killing, but by disabling an opponent’s means of combat (horses, banner, bow, charioteer/guards), forcing retreat; it also shows how a leader (Drupada) responds when an ally withdraws, taking responsibility to continue the contest.
Arjuna overwhelms Satyajit by repeatedly breaking his bows and striking down his horses and support crew, causing Satyajit to flee. Drupada, seeing this retreat, immediately showers Arjuna with arrows and begins a major engagement with him.