Shloka 13
भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103
हेमपृष्ठं धनुश्चास्य ददृशे विचरद् दिशः । तोयदेषु यथा राजन् राजमाना शतह्ृददा,राजन्! अभिमन्युके धनुषका पृष्ठभाग सुवर्णसे जटित था, वह सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें विचरण करता हुआ बादलोंमें चमकनेवाली बिजलीके समान सुशोभित होता था
hemapiṣṭhaṃ dhanuś cāsya dadṛśe vicarad diśaḥ | toyadeṣu yathā rājan rājamānā śatahr̥dā ||
Sañjaya disse: “Ó rei, eu vi o seu arco, de dorso dourado e radiante, movendo-se por todas as direções. Ele brilhava como o relâmpago que fulgura entre nuvens de chuva—imagem de esplendor marcial que intensifica o assombro e a tensão moral da batalha, onde o brilho e a destreza se contrapõem ao custo trágico da guerra.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how martial excellence and outward brilliance can inspire awe, yet in the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame such splendor is inseparable from the grave moral weight of warfare; it invites reflection on kṣatriya duty performed amid inevitable suffering.
Sañjaya reports to the king what he sees on the battlefield: a warrior’s gold-backed bow moving across the field and shining like lightning in rain-clouds, emphasizing speed, radiance, and the heightened intensity of combat.