Shloka 23
Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds
कच्चिन्नापानुदत् प्राणानिषुभिवों धनंजय: । वातो वेगादिवाविध्यन्मेघान् शरगणैर्नपान्,उस अवसरपर पार्थने अपने बाणोंद्वारा तुम्हारे सैनिकोंके प्राण तो नहीं ले लिये थे? जैसे वायु वेगपूर्वक चलकर मेघोंकी घटाको छिजत्न-भिन्न कर देती है, उसी प्रकार अर्जुनने वेगसे चलाये हुए बाण-समूहोंद्वारा विपक्षी नरेशोंको घायल कर दिया होगा
kaccin nāpānudat prāṇān iṣubhivo dhanañjayaḥ | vāto vegādivāvidhyan meghān śaragaṇair napān ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Tidakkah Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), dengan anak panahnya, menghalau pergi nafas kehidupan para raja itu? Seperti angin kencang menembusi dan mencerai-beraikan gumpalan awan, demikianlah Pārtha, dengan rentetan panah yang meluncur pantas, memukul dan melukai para pemerintah pihak lawan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of decisive martial action in a dharma-yuddha setting: Arjuna’s force is portrayed as overwhelming yet purposeful, using a natural simile (wind scattering clouds) to frame battlefield violence as controlled power rather than cruelty.
Vaiśampāyana describes (as a concerned inquiry) Arjuna’s battlefield impact: with rapid volleys of arrows he strikes the opposing kings, seemingly ‘driving away their life-breaths,’ likened to a strong wind tearing through and dispersing cloud-masses.