Shloka 61
मुक्ता: सर्वेडव्यवच्छिन्ना नेमे बाणा: शिखण्डिन: । तब वे पुनः दुःशासनसे मुसकराते हुए-से बोले--“गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुनने युद्धस्थलमें ऐसे बाण छोड़े हैं
sañjaya uvāca | muktāḥ sarve 'vyavacchinnā neme bāṇāḥ śikhaṇḍinaḥ | nikṛntamānā marmāṇi dṛḍhāvaraṇabhedinaḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: «Anak panah ini dilepaskan tanpa putus, mengalir berterusan; mustahil ia milik Śikhaṇḍin. Ia mengerat titik-titik hayat dan menembusi perisai yang teguh. Sentuhannya tidak tertahan—seperti halilintar dan kilat—menghentam tubuh bagaikan belantan berat. Daya sebegini sukar ditangkis; ini sama sekali bukan anak panah Śikhaṇḍin.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, discernment matters: the passage highlights careful attribution of agency and skill—recognizing the true source of an action rather than accepting appearances. It also underscores the moral weight of consequences in battle, where force and intent manifest through unmistakable signs.
In Sanjaya’s report, Duhshasana (or the speaker describing his condition) notes that the arrows arriving in an unbroken stream are too powerful and precise to be Shikhandin’s; they pierce strong armor and strike vital points, indicating that Arjuna, wielding the Gandiva, is the real archer behind the assault.