Shloka 92
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
स च सर्पमुखो दिव्यो महेषुप्रवरस्तदा । व्यर्थ: कथं समभवत् तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय
sa ca sarpamukho divyo maheṣupravaraḥ tadā | vyarthaḥ kathaṁ samabhavat tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Dan bagaimana pada saat itu anak panah ilahi ‘bermuka ular’—yang terunggul antara anak panah besar—boleh menjadi sia-sia? Katakan kepadaku, wahai Sañjaya. Ketika wira Pāṇḍava, seorang maharathi, mara ke hadapan sambil mencurahkan hujan panah bagaikan awan sarat air, oleh sebab apakah senjata tertinggi itu gagal?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the most formidable divine weapon can become ineffective when opposed by superior prowess, protective merit, or the larger movement of destiny; the epic repeatedly suggests that power alone does not guarantee success.
Vaiśampāyana asks Sañjaya to explain why the celebrated divine serpent-faced missile, regarded as the best among great arrows, failed at the moment when a Pāṇḍava warrior advanced while showering arrows like rain-clouds.