Shloka 22
अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः
Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon
हयांश्व॒ रजतप्रख्यान् कड्कपत्रै: शिलाशितै: । अवाकिरदमेयात्मा पार्थ संकोपयन्निव
hayāṁś ca rajata-prakhyān kaṅka-patraiḥ śilāśitaiḥ | avākirad ameyātmā pārthaṁ saṅkopayann iva ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: O guerreiro de espírito incomensurável também cobriu os cavalos de Arjuna—brilhantes como prata—com flechas cujas penas eram como as da garça branca e cujas pontas haviam sido afiadas na pedra. Parecia que o mestre fazia isso para provocar a ira de Arjuna, intensificando o duelo e pondo à prova sua firmeza nas exigências do combate justo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in battle, skill and aggression are framed by dharma: the verse highlights controlled provocation and testing—an opponent may intensify pressure to draw out one’s full capacity, but the ideal response is disciplined courage rather than blind rage.
A mighty warrior showers Arjuna’s silver-bright horses with stone-sharpened, heron-feathered arrows, effectively covering them; the narrator remarks that it appears the teacher is doing this to rouse Arjuna’s anger and escalate the duel.