Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 25
अध्याय ५०: उत्तरेण सह अर्जुनस्य रथप्रयाणे ध्वजचिह्नैः कौरवसेनानिर्देशः
Arjuna directs Uttara by identifying Kaurava commanders through banners
न हि गाण्डीवनिर्मुक्ता गार्ध्रपक्षा: सुतेजना: । नान्तरेष्ववतिष्ठन्ते गिरीणामपि दारणा:
na hi gāṇḍīva-nirmuktā gārdhra-pakṣāḥ su-tejanāḥ | nāntareṣv avatiṣṭhante girīṇām api dāraṇāḥ ||
Kṛpa berkata: “Anak-anak panah yang terang setajam mata pisau, dilepaskan dari Gāṇḍīva—berbulu sayap burung hering—tidak berhenti di pertengahan. Ia hanya berhenti setelah menembusi tubuh musuh; bahkan mampu merobek gunung sekalipun.”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inevitability of consequences once a powerful force is rightly unleashed: Arjuna’s arrows symbolize decisive action in battle—when duty demands engagement, half-measures and hesitation are ineffective.
Kṛpa is warning/remarking about the terrifying effectiveness of the arrows shot from Arjuna’s bow Gāṇḍīva, emphasizing that such arrows do not stop until they pierce their target—heightening the sense of danger for those who face Arjuna.