Shloka 22
अभश्रत्थामाके द्वारा पाण्डव-सेनापर नारायणास्त्रका प्रयोग जनेश्वर! पाण्डव-महारथी जैसे-जैसे युद्ध करते थे, वैसे-ही-वैसे उस अस्त्रका वेग बढ़ता जाता था ।। वध्यमानास्तदास्त्रेण तेन नारायणेन वै | दहाुमानानलेनेव सर्वतो<भ्यर्दिता रणे,उस नारायणास्त्रसे घायल हुए सैनिक रणभूमिमें ऐसे पीड़ित हुए मानो सब ओरसे आगमें झुलस रहे हों
sañjaya uvāca | aśvatthāmnā kṛte dvāraḥ pāṇḍava-senāparā narāyaṇāstrasya prayogaḥ, janeśvara | pāṇḍava-mahārathā yathā-yathā yuddham akurvata tathā-tathā tasya astrasya vegaḥ vardhamāna eva | vadhyamānās tadāstreṇa tena nārāyaṇena vai | dāhyamānānaleneva sarvato 'bhyarditā raṇe ||
सञ्जय उवाच—जनाधिप! अश्वत्थाम्ना पाण्डवसेनायां नारायणास्त्रं प्रयुक्ते, यथा यथा पाण्डवमहारा्था युध्यन्ते स्म तथा तथा तदस्त्रं वेगेन विवर्धत। तेन नारायणास्त्रेणाभिहता रणे सैनिकाः सर्वतोऽभ्यर्दिताः, दह्यमानानलेनेव सर्वतः परितप्यमानाः।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that in dharmic reflection on war, courage alone is not always the right response: against certain divinely empowered forces, continued aggression can amplify harm. It points to the ethical need for discernment and restraint, not merely valor, when the means of violence become overwhelming.
Aśvatthāmā releases the Nārāyaṇa-weapon at the Pāṇḍava forces. As the Pāṇḍava elite fighters keep engaging in combat, the weapon’s force increases correspondingly, and the soldiers suffer intensely on the battlefield, as if surrounded by burning fire.