Shloka 19
Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas
Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode
किंतु अर्जुनके द्वारा चलाये हुए उन रक्त पीनेवाले नाराचोंको अपने पास आनेसे पहले ही कृपाचार्यने तीखे बाण मारकर उनके सैकड़ों और हजारों टुकड़े कर डाले ।।
kintu arjunakena calitān raktapīnavalān nārācān svam upagamanāt pūrvam eva kṛpācāryas tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ śatadhā sahasradhā ca ciccheda | tataḥ pārthas tu saṅkruddhaś citrān mārgān pradarśayan diśaḥ saṃchādayan bāṇaiḥ pradīśaś ca mahārathaḥ | ekacchāyam ivākāśam akarot sarvataḥ prabhuḥ ||
Ngunit ang mga “dugong-umiinom” na palasong nārāca na pinakawalan ni Arjuna ay nasalag bago pa man lumapit: si Ācārya Kṛpa, sa matatalim na palaso, ay dinurog ang mga iyon sa daan-daan at libu-libong piraso. Pagkaraan, si Pārtha (Arjuna), nag-aalab sa galit, ay nagpakita ng mga kahanga-hangang landas ng pana; ang dakilang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwahe ay tinakpan ang mga direksiyon at mga pagitan nito ng ulang-palaso, anupa’t ang langit sa lahat ng dako’y wari’y lumubog sa iisang, pantay na dilim.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that prowess in battle is not mere aggression but disciplined mastery: Kṛpa’s precise counter and Arjuna’s controlled display of complex trajectories show how skill, alertness, and tactical restraint operate within kṣatriya-dharma, even when anger arises.
Arjuna fires fierce nārāca missiles; Kṛpācārya intercepts and splinters them before they reach him. Arjuna then intensifies the fight, demonstrating intricate archery and releasing such a dense volley that the directions are veiled and the sky appears uniformly dark.