Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
ते च्छन्ना: समरे तेन पाण्डवानां महारथा:
te cchannāḥ samare tena pāṇḍavānāṃ mahārathāḥ
สัญชัยกล่าวว่า—ในศึกนั้น มหารถีแห่งฝ่ายปาณฑพถูกเขากดดันจนเหมือนถูกปกคลุมท่ามกลางการปะทะของอาวุธ; ด้วยการบุกกระหน่ำของเขา กระแสแห่งสงครามก็ประหนึ่งพลิกผันไป
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the volatility of war: even the foremost heroes (mahārathas) can be suddenly pressed and obscured by a single opponent’s momentum. Ethically, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring reminder that prowess is real yet unstable, and that outcomes in battle are shaped by circumstance, resolve, and the larger moral-cosmic order.
Sañjaya reports that, during the fighting, the Pāṇḍavas’ leading chariot-warriors were ‘covered/overwhelmed’ by a particular warrior’s assault—suggesting a moment where the enemy’s attack dominated the field and forced the Pāṇḍava champions into a pressured, obscured situation.