Shloka 13
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
स शरै: समवच्छन्नक्षुकाशे पाण्डवर्षभ: । पञड्चरान्तरसंचारी शकुन्त इव भारत,भरतनन्दन! बाणोंसे आच्छादित हुए पाण्डवप्रवर अर्जुन पींजड़ेके भीतर फुदकनेवाले पक्षीकी भाँति जान पड़ते थे
sa śaraiḥ samavacchannakṣukāśe pāṇḍavarṣabhaḥ | pañjarāntarasañcārī śakunta iva bhārata bharatanandana ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Arjuna—lembu jantan di antara para Pāṇḍava—diliputi anak panah di seluruh tubuh dan terhimpit seolah-olah berada dalam ruang yang sempit. Wahai Bhārata, wahai kegembiraan kaum Bhārata! Dia tampak seperti seekor burung yang meluru ke sana sini di dalam sangkar—gambaran yang menegaskan kedahsyatan serangan serta ketabahan sang pahlawan: meski terkurung dan terluka, dia tetap bergerak dan melawan, tidak menyerah kepada putus asa atau meninggalkan dharmanya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in dharma under pressure: even when wounded and seemingly constrained, a righteous warrior does not abandon effort or composure. The ethical emphasis is on endurance, courage, and continued responsibility amid suffering.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes Arjuna in the midst of fierce combat: he is struck and covered by arrows and appears confined, yet he keeps moving rapidly—likened to a bird fluttering within a cage—conveying both the intensity of the attack and Arjuna’s resilience.