Shloka 186
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
महेन्द्रप्रतिमं कार्ष्णि छादयामास पत्रिभि: । महाराज! तब अमर्षशील अलम्बुषने कुपित होकर देवराज इन्द्रके समान पराक्रमी अर्जुनकुमारको पंखवाले बाणोंसे आच्छादित कर दिया
mahendrapratimaṃ kārṣṇi chādayāmāsa patribhiḥ | mahārāja! tad amarṣaśīlaḥ alambuṣaṇaḥ kupitaḥ bhūtvā devarāja-indra-samāna-parākramaṃ arjuna-kumāraṃ pakṣavat-bāṇaiḥ ācchāditavān |
Sañjaya disse: Ó rei, então Alambuṣa, de temperamento impetuoso, enfurecido, cobriu com flechas aladas o filho de Arjuna—poderoso como Indra, rei dos deuses—como se quisesse subjugá-lo pela força bruta no tumulto da batalha.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (amarṣa, krodha) can drive a warrior to attempt domination through overwhelming force; ethically, it contrasts disciplined valor with rage-driven aggression, reminding that inner control is integral to righteous conduct even in war.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Alambuṣaṇa, provoked and furious, unleashes a dense volley of feathered arrows, effectively ‘covering’ Arjuna’s son on the battlefield—an image of intense pressure and escalating combat.