Shloka 20

Duryodhana’s Account of Gandharva Defeat and the Pandavas’ Intervention (दुर्योधनवर्णितो गन्धर्वसंग्रामः)

Devanagari script

गाण्डीवधन्वा च वृकोदरश्न संरम्भिणावनन्‍्तककालकल्पौ । न शेषयेतां युधि शत्रुसेनां शरान्‌ किरन्तावशनिप्रकाशान्‌

Transliteration

gāṇḍīvadhanvā ca vṛkodaraś ca saṃrambhiṇāv anantakālakalpau | na śeṣayetāṃ yudhi śatrusenāṃ śarān kirantāv aśaniprakāśān ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Arjuna, pemegang busur Gāṇḍīva, dan Bhīma (Vṛkodara), kedua-duanya garang dalam serbuan, laksana Yuga-akhir yang menutup zaman-zaman tanpa penghujung, tidak akan meninggalkan saki-baki bala tentera musuh di medan perang, tatkala mereka menghujani panah yang menyala seperti kilat.

Word by Word

गाण्डीवधन्वाthe wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow (Arjuna)

चand

वृकोदरःVṛkodara (Bhīma)

चand

संरम्भिणौimpetuous, fierce

अनन्तककालकल्पौlike the time of endless death (like the end-time)

नnot

शेषयेताम्they left (remaining)

युधिin battle

शत्रुसेनाम्the enemy army

शरान्arrows

किरन्तौscattering, showering

अशनिप्रकाशान्having the brilliance of lightning

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Gāṇḍīva

Bhīma (Vṛkodara)

enemy army (śatru-senā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the awe and danger of martial power: when righteous warriors unleash their full might, war becomes near-apocalyptic. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma—valor and duty in battle—while also hinting at the ethical weight of destruction that such duty can entail.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Arjuna and Bhīma in combat, portraying them as overwhelmingly fierce. They rain down lightning-bright arrows and are said to leave no remnant of the enemy forces on the battlefield.