Shloka 39
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
अश्वत्थाम्न: शरानस्तान् छित्त्वैकैकं त्रिधा त्रिधा । व्यधमद् भरतश्रेष्ठो निहारमिव मारुत:
aśvatthāmnaḥ śarān astān chittvaikaikaṃ tridhā tridhā | vyadhamad bharataśreṣṭho nihāram iva mārutaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Setelah berkata demikian, Arjuna—yang terbaik dalam keturunan Bharata—memotong setiap anak panah yang dilepaskan Aśvatthāmā menjadi tiga bahagian, berulang-ulang, lalu menghancurkan semuanya, sebagaimana angin menghalau kabus.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power guided by discipline is superior to uncontrolled aggression: Arjuna’s response is measured, precise, and preventative—neutralizing danger without being swept away by anger, reflecting the ideal of controlled force in dharma-oriented warfare.
Aśvatthāmā shoots arrows at Arjuna; Arjuna counters by cutting each incoming arrow into three pieces, repeatedly, destroying the volley as effortlessly as wind disperses fog.