Shloka 11
Adhyāya 61: Saṃmohana-astra and the Kuru Withdrawal (संमोहनास्त्रं तथा कुरुनिवृत्तिः)
नाददानं न संधानं न मुछ्चन्तं शरोत्तमान् । त्वामहं सम्प्रपश्यामि पश्यन्नपि न चेतन:
nādadānaṃ na sandhānaṃ na muñcantaṃ śarottamān | tvām ahaṃ samprapaśyāmi paśyann api na cetanaḥ ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—تم کب بہترین تیروں کو ہاتھ میں لیتے ہو، کب انہیں کمان پر چڑھاتے ہو اور کب چھوڑ دیتے ہو—میں یہ سب دیکھ ہی نہیں پاتا۔ دیکھتے ہوئے بھی میری ہوش و حواس گویا سُن ہو جاتے ہیں۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary mastery can overwhelm ordinary perception: true excellence in a discipline (here, archery) may appear almost invisible, reminding the listener of the limits of sensory awareness and the awe inspired by perfected skill.
The speaker describes watching a warrior so swift and precise that the usual stages of archery—taking arrows, setting them to the bow, and releasing—cannot be distinctly seen; even while looking, the observer feels mentally stunned and unable to register the actions.