Shloka 10
Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)
यदा चास्मान् न मुमुचुर्गन्धर्वा: सान्त्विता अपि,उनके समझाने-बुझानेपर भी जब आकाशचारी वीर गन्धर्व हमें न छोड़ सके और बादलोंकी भाँति गर्जने लगे तब अर्जुन, भीम तथा उत्कट बलशाली नकुल-सहदेवने उन असंख्य गन्धर्वोकी ओर लक्ष्य करके बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी
yadā cāsmān na mumucur gandharvāḥ sāntvitā api, te gajitā iva meghāḥ; tadā arjuna-bhīma-utkaṭa-balaśālī nakula-sahadevās teṣām asaṅkhyeyānāṃ gandharvāṇāṃ prati lakṣyaṃ kṛtvā bāṇavarṣaṃ prārabdhavantaḥ
Duryodhana disse: “Mesmo depois de apaziguados, os guerreiros gandharva, heróis que percorrem o céu, não nos libertaram; rugiam como nuvens de trovão. Então Arjuna e Bhima, junto com Nakula e Sahadeva, de força feroz, miraram aqueles incontáveis gandharva e começaram a fazer chover flechas.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in the epic: even amid enmity, kshatriya responsibility and situational dharma can compel action. The Pandavas respond to immediate violence and the need to protect captives, showing that duty in crisis may override personal resentment.
Duryodhana recounts that the Gandharvas, despite attempts to placate them, refused to release the captives and roared like thunderclouds. In response, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva begin attacking the Gandharvas with a concentrated volley of arrows.