वैशंपायन उवाच
भीष्मे तु संग्रामशिरो विहाय; पलायमाने धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रः ॥
उच्छ्रित्य केतुं विनदन् महात्मा; स्वयं विगृह्यार्जुनम् आससाद ॥
स भीमधन्वानम् उदग्रवीर्यं; धनंजयं शत्रुगणे चरन्तम् ॥
आकर्णपूर्णायतचोदितेन; भल्लेन विव्याध ललाटमध्ये ॥
स तेन बाणेन समर्पितेन; जाम्बूनदाभेन सुसंशितेन ॥
रराज राजन् महनीयकर्मा; यथैकपर्वा रुचिरैकशृङ्गः ॥
अथास्य बाणेन विदारितस्य; प्रादुर्बभूवासृग् अजस्रम् उष्णम् ॥
सा तस्य जाम्बूनदपुष्पचित्रा; मालेव चित्राभिविराजते स्म ॥
स तेन बाणाभिहतस् तरस्वी; दुर्योधनेनोद्धतमन्युवेगः ॥
शरान् उपादाय विषाग्निकल्पान्; विव्याध राजानम् अदीनसत्त्वः ॥
दुर्योधनश् चापि तम् उग्रतेजाः; पार्थश् च दुर्योधनम् एकवीरः ॥
अन्योन्यम् आजौ पुरुषप्रवीरौ; समं समाजघ्नतुर् आजमीढौ ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
bhīṣme tu saṃgrāmaśiro vihāya; palāyamāne dhṛtarāṣṭraputraḥ ||
ucchritya ketuṃ vinadan mahātmā; svayaṃ vigṛhyārjunam āsasāda ||
sa bhīmadhanvānam udagravīryaṃ; dhanaṃjayaṃ śatrugaṇe carantam ||
ākarṇapūrṇāyatacoditena; bhallena vivyādha lalāṭamadhye ||
sa tena bāṇena samarpitena; jāmbūnadābhena susaṃśitena ||
rarāja rājan mahanīyakarmā; yathaikaparvā ruciraikaśṛṅgaḥ ||
athāsya bāṇena vidāritasya; prādurbabhūvāsṛg ajasram uṣṇam ||
sā tasya jāmbūnadapuṣpacitrā; māleva citrābhivirājate sma ||
sa tena bāṇābhihatas tarasvī; duryodhanenoddhatamanyuvegaḥ ||
śarān upādāya viṣāgnikalpān; vivyādha rājānam adīnasattvaḥ ||
duryodhanaś cāpi tam ugratejāḥ; pārthaś ca duryodhanam ekavīraḥ ||
anyonyam ājau puruṣapravīrau; samaṃ samājaghnatur ājamīḍhau ||
Vaishampayana said: 'When Bhishma left the forefront of the battle and was borne away, the son of Dhritarashtra raised his banner, cried out loudly, and himself joined battle with Arjuna. He drew his bow to the ear and struck Dhananjaya, the mighty archer moving among the enemy ranks, in the middle of the forehead with a broad-headed arrow. Struck by that golden, well-sharpened arrow, Arjuna, great in deeds, shone like a beautiful single-peaked mountain. From the cloven wound hot blood flowed without cease, and it gleamed upon him like a many-colored garland strung with golden flowers. Struck by this arrow of Duryodhana, the swift Partha, his fury rising, took up arrows like poison and fire and struck the king. Duryodhana, terrible in his splendor, and Partha, the peerless hero, the two foremost men of the line of Ajamidha, struck each other equally in that battle.'
4dccd48c1733 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:42:56 PM UTC
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Duryodhana shows courage, and the text does not hide this. But courage without righteousness does not become victory: a blow to the forehead only awakens Arjuna's answer.