Shloka 13
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
स शरै: समवच्छन्नक्षुकाशे पाण्डवर्षभ: । पञड्चरान्तरसंचारी शकुन्त इव भारत,भरतनन्दन! बाणोंसे आच्छादित हुए पाण्डवप्रवर अर्जुन पींजड़ेके भीतर फुदकनेवाले पक्षीकी भाँति जान पड़ते थे
sa śaraiḥ samavacchannakṣukāśe pāṇḍavarṣabhaḥ | pañjarāntarasañcārī śakunta iva bhārata bharatanandana ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：阿周那——般度诸子中的雄牛——周身尽被箭矢所覆，又仿佛被逼入狭隘之地而受困。噢，婆罗多啊，婆罗多族的欢欣者！他看起来如同笼中之鸟，急速穿梭腾挪；此一譬喻既显攻势之酷烈，亦彰战士之坚忍：纵使受伤受制，他仍不绝望，不弃其法与职责，依旧奋动抗拒。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in dharma under pressure: even when wounded and seemingly constrained, a righteous warrior does not abandon effort or composure. The ethical emphasis is on endurance, courage, and continued responsibility amid suffering.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes Arjuna in the midst of fierce combat: he is struck and covered by arrows and appears confined, yet he keeps moving rapidly—likened to a bird fluttering within a cage—conveying both the intensity of the attack and Arjuna’s resilience.