Shloka 19
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Arjuna’s defeat of Vṛṣaka–Acalā and the neutralization of Śakuni’s māyā
वैजयन्त्यभवन्माला तदस्त्रं केशवोरसि । पद्मकोशविचित्राब्या सर्वर्तुकुसुमोत्कटा
vaijayantyabhavanmālā tad astraṃ keśavorasi | padmakośavicitrābhyā sarvartukusumotkaṭā ||
Sañjaya said: That missile, striking Keśava upon the chest, became a Vaijayantī garland—adorned with variegated lotus-buds and thick with blossoms of every season. The scene underscores the moral order of the war: when the righteous are protected by divine power, even weapons meant to harm are transformed into ornaments, revealing the futility of aggression against one who stands as the refuge of dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the supremacy of divine guardianship aligned with dharma: hostile force cannot truly injure the divinely protected; instead, aggression is rendered powerless and even transformed into beauty, warning against unrighteous violence.
Sañjaya reports that a weapon aimed at Keśava strikes his chest but, rather than wounding him, turns into the Vaijayantī garland—rich with lotus-buds and seasonal blossoms—signaling a miraculous reversal on the battlefield.