Shloka 3
Pāṇḍya-vadha-anantaram Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Response and the Renewed Battle
ततो<विध्यद् भ्रुवोर्मध्ये नाराचेनार्जुनो भृशम् । स तेन विबभीौ द्रौणिरूर्ध्वरश्मिर्यथा रवि:
tato ’vidhyad bhruvormadhye nārācena arjuno bhṛśam | sa tena vibabhau drauṇir ūrdhvaraśmir yathā raviḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian Arjuna memanah putera Drona (Aśvatthāman) dengan anak panah nārāca, tepat dan keras di antara kedua-dua keningnya. Dengan anak panah itu tertancap di dahinya, Drauṇi bersinar seperti matahari, seolah-olah sinarnya memancar ke atas—gambaran yang menambah gemilang ngeri medan perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic tension between dharma-bound warrior action and the grim beauty of martial prowess: even a violent act is framed through a luminous simile, reminding the reader that in the Kurukṣetra war, duty and destruction coexist in a morally charged spectacle.
Arjuna shoots a powerful nārāca arrow that hits Aśvatthāman squarely between the eyebrows. The arrow lodged in his forehead makes him appear radiant, compared to the sun with upward-streaming rays.