Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 7
Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas
Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode
कृपस्य रथमास्थाय वैराटिरकुतो भय: । प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य तस्थौ तस्याग्रतो बली
kṛpasya ratham āsthāya vairāṭir akuto bhayaḥ | pradakṣiṇam upāvṛtya tasthau tasyāgrato balī ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: O príncipe de Virāṭa — destemido por todos os lados — montou no carro de Kṛpa, fê-lo seguir um giro de pradakṣiṇā pela direita e, o poderoso, deteve-se então diretamente diante dele. O gesto unia confiança tática e respeito formal, mesmo sob a tensão do combate iminente.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a martial setting, kṣatriya behavior can combine fearlessness with disciplined protocol: confidence (akuto-bhaya) is shown alongside a formal gesture of respect (pradakṣiṇā), indicating that power is ideally tempered by restraint and propriety.
Uttara, the prince of Virāṭa, mounts Kṛpa’s chariot, wheels it in a rightward circumambulation, and then stops directly in front of Kṛpa—positioning himself boldly while also performing a conventional sign of honor.