Shloka 16
Gaṅgā-tīra Udaka-kriyā and Kuntī’s Disclosure of Karṇa’s Maternity
Strī-parva, Adhyāya 27
तलशब्दानुनदितो महारथमहाह्द: । यस्येषुपातमासाद्य नान्यस्तिष्ठेद् धनंजयात्
talaśabdānunadito mahārathamahāhradaḥ | yasy eṣupātam āsādya nānyas tiṣṭhed dhanañjayāt ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ele era como um vasto lago, posto a ressoar pelo estalido agudo do tala (a palmada)—um grande guerreiro de carro, de profundidade imensa. Assim que alguém entrava no alcance em que suas flechas caíam, nenhum outro combatente podia manter-se firme diante de Dhanañjaya (Arjuna).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the overwhelming force of a truly great warrior: when power is joined with mastery (here, Arjuna’s arrow-range), ordinary resistance collapses. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s sober recognition that in war, prowess can make outcomes feel inevitable—heightening the tragedy that follows in the Strī-parvan.
Vaiśampāyana describes a formidable battlefield presence using vivid similes and sound-imagery, emphasizing that once opponents entered the effective range of Arjuna’s arrows, they could not hold their ground against him.