स तान् अभीषून् पुनर् आददानः; प्रगृह्य शङ्खं द्विषतां निहन्ता ॥
विनादयाम् आस ततो दिशश् च; स पाञ्चजन्यस्य रवेण शौरिः ॥
व्याविद्धनिष्काङ्गदकुण्डलं तं; रजोविकीर्णाञ्चितपक्ष्मनेत्रम् ॥
विशुद्धदंष्ट्रं प्रगृहीतशङ्खं; विचुक्रुशुः प्रेक्ष्य कुरुप्रवीराः ॥
मृदङ्गभेरीपटहप्रणादा; नेमिस्वना दुन्दुभिनिस्वनाश् च ॥
ससिंहनादाश् च बभूवुर् उग्राः; सर्वेष्व् अनीकेषु ततः कुरूणाम् ॥
गाण्डीवघोषः स्तनयित्नुकल्पो; जगाम पार्थस्य नभो दिशश् च ॥
जग्मुश् च बाणा विमलाः प्रसन्नाः; सर्वा दिशः पाण्डवचापमुक्ताः ॥
तं कौरवाणाम् अधिपो बलेन; भीष्मेण भूरिश्रवसा च सार्धम् ॥
अभ्युद्ययाव् उद्यतबाणपाणिः; कक्षं दिधक्षन्न् इव धूमकेतुः ॥
अथार्जुनाय प्रजहार भल्लान्; भूरिश्रवाः सप्त सुवर्णपुङ्खान् ॥
दुर्योधनस् तोमरम् उग्रवेगं; शल्यो गदां शांतनवश् च शक्तिम् ॥
स सप्तभिः सप्त शरप्रवेकान्; संवार्य भूरिश्रवसा विसृष्टान् ॥
शितेन दुर्योधनबाहुमुक्तं; क्षुरेण तत् तोमरम् उन्ममाथ ॥
ततः शुभाम् आपततीं स शक्तिं; विद्युत्प्रभां शांतनवेन मुक्ताम् ॥
गदां च मद्राधिपबाहुमुक्तां; द्वाभ्यां शराभ्यां निचकर्त वीरः ॥
ततो भुजाभ्यां बलवद् विकृष्य; चित्रं धनुर् गाण्डिवम् अप्रमेयम् ॥
माहेन्द्रम् अस्त्रं विधिवत् सुघोरं; प्रादुश्चकाराद्भुतम् अन्तरिक्षे ॥
तेनोत्तमास्त्रेण ततो महात्मा; सर्वाण्य् अनीकानि महाधनुष्मान् ॥
शरौघजालैर् विमलाग्निवर्णैर्; निवारयाम् आस किरीटमाली ॥
शिलीमुखाः पार्थधनुःप्रमुक्ता; रथान् ध्वजाग्राणि धनूंषि बाहून् ॥
निकृत्य देहान् विविशुः परेषां; नरेन्द्रनागेन्द्रतुरंगमाणाम् ॥
ततो दिशश् चानुदिशश् च पार्थः; शरैः सुधारैर् निशितैर् वितत्य ॥
गाण्डीवशब्देन मनांसि तेषां; किरीटमाली व्यथयां चकार ॥
तस्मिंस् तथा घोरतमे प्रवृत्ते; शङ्खस्वना दुन्दुभिनिस्वनाश् च ॥
अन्तर्हिता गाण्डिवनिस्वनेन; भभूवुर् उग्राश् च रणप्रणादाः ॥
गाण्डीवशब्दं तम् अथो विदित्वा; विराटराजप्रमुखा नृवीराः ॥
पाञ्चालराजो द्रुपदश् च वीरस्; तं देशम् आजग्मुर् अदीनसत्त्वाः ॥
सर्वाणि सैन्यानि तु तावकानि; यतो यतो गाण्डिवजः प्रणादः ॥
ततस् ततः संनतिम् एव जग्मुर्; न तं प्रतीपो ऽभिससार कश् चित् ॥
sa tān abhīṣūn punar ādadānaḥ; pragṛhya śaṅkhaṃ dviṣatāṃ nihantā ||
vinādayām āsa tato diśaś ca; sa pāñcajanyasya raveṇa śauriḥ ||
vyāviddhaniṣkāṅgadakuṇḍalaṃ taṃ; rajovikīrṇāñcitapakṣmanetram ||
viśuddhadaṃṣṭraṃ pragṛhītaśaṅkhaṃ; vicukruśuḥ prekṣya kurupravīrāḥ ||
mṛdaṅgabherīpaṭahapraṇādā; nemisvanā dundubhinisvanāś ca ||
sasiṃhanādāś ca babhūvur ugrāḥ; sarveṣv anīkeṣu tataḥ kurūṇām ||
gāṇḍīvaghoṣaḥ stanayitnukalpo; jagāma pārthasya nabho diśaś ca ||
jagmuś ca bāṇā vimalāḥ prasannāḥ; sarvā diśaḥ pāṇḍavacāpamuktāḥ ||
taṃ kauravāṇām adhipo balena; bhīṣmeṇa bhūriśravasā ca sārdham ||
abhyudyayāv udyatabāṇapāṇiḥ; kakṣaṃ didhakṣann iva dhūmaketuḥ ||
athārjunāya prajahāra bhallān; bhūriśravāḥ sapta suvarṇapuṅkhān ||
duryodhanas tomaram ugravegaṃ; śalyo gadāṃ śāṃtanavaś ca śaktim ||
sa saptabhiḥ sapta śarapravekān; saṃvārya bhūriśravasā visṛṣṭān ||
śitena duryodhanabāhumuktaṃ; kṣureṇa tat tomaram unmamātha ||
tataḥ śubhām āpatatīṃ sa śaktiṃ; vidyutprabhāṃ śāṃtanavena muktām ||
gadāṃ ca madrādhipabāhumuktāṃ; dvābhyāṃ śarābhyāṃ nicakarta vīraḥ ||
tato bhujābhyāṃ balavad vikṛṣya; citraṃ dhanur gāṇḍivam aprameyam ||
māhendram astraṃ vidhivat sughoraṃ; prāduścakārādbhutam antarikṣe ||
tenottamāstreṇa tato mahātmā; sarvāṇy anīkāni mahādhanuṣmān ||
śaraughajālair vimalāgnivarṇair; nivārayām āsa kirīṭamālī ||
śilīmukhāḥ pārthadhanuḥpramuktā; rathān dhvajāgrāṇi dhanūṃṣi bāhūn ||
nikṛtya dehān viviśuḥ pareṣāṃ; narendranāgendraturaṃgamāṇām ||
tato diśaś cānudiśaś ca pārthaḥ; śaraiḥ sudhārair niśitair vitatya ||
gāṇḍīvaśabdena manāṃsi teṣāṃ; kirīṭamālī vyathayāṃ cakāra ||
tasmiṃs tathā ghoratame pravṛtte; śaṅkhasvanā dundubhinisvanāś ca ||
antarhitā gāṇḍivanisvanena; bhabhūvur ugrāś ca raṇapraṇādāḥ ||
gāṇḍīvaśabdaṃ tam atho viditvā; virāṭarājapramukhā nṛvīrāḥ ||
pāñcālarājo drupadaś ca vīras; taṃ deśam ājagmur adīnasattvāḥ ||
sarvāṇi sainyāni tu tāvakāni; yato yato gāṇḍivajaḥ praṇādaḥ ||
tatas tataḥ saṃnatim eva jagmur; na taṃ pratīpo 'bhisasāra kaś cit ||
Taking up the reins once more and raising His conch, Shauri, the destroyer of enemies, made all the quarters resound with the roar of Panchajanya. The foremost heroes of the Kurus cried out at the sight of Him — His necklace, bracelets, and earrings swaying, His eyes and lashes covered with dust, His teeth gleaming pure, the conch raised in His hand. Then throughout all the ranks of the Kurus arose the fierce sounds of mridangas, bheris, and patahas, the rumble of wheel-rims, the roar of dundubhis, and lion-cries. The thunder-like twang of Partha's Gandiva rose into the sky and into every quarter, and clear, gleaming arrows loosed from the Pandava's bow flew in every direction. The lord of the Kauravas, with his army, together with Bhishma and Bhurishravas, advanced against him, arrow raised in hand, like a comet bent on burning dry grass. Then Bhurishravas hurled seven gold-feathered broad-headed arrows at Arjuna, Duryodhana a javelin of terrible speed, Shalya a mace, and Shantanava a spear. With seven arrows Arjuna warded off the seven finest shafts loosed by Bhurishravas; with a sharp razor-arrow he shattered the javelin released by Duryodhana's hand; and the lightning-bright spear hurled by Shantanava, and the mace flung by the hand of the lord of the Madras, the hero cut apart with two arrows as they bore down upon him. Then, drawing back mightily with both arms the wondrous, matchless Gandiva, he duly manifested in the sky the terrible weapon of Indra, wondrous and dreadful. With this supreme weapon the great-souled diademed Arjuna, the mighty archer, held back every army with nets of arrow-torrents the color of pure fire. Shafts loosed from Partha's bow cut through chariots, banner-tips, bows, and arms, and plunged into the bodies of the enemy — kings, lordly elephants, and horses. Filling all the quarters and intermediate quarters with sharp, keen-edged arrows, the diademed Arjuna made the hearts of his foes tremble with the roar of Gandiva. When that most terrible onslaught had thus begun, the sounds of conches and the roar of dundubhis, and the fierce din of battle, were all drowned out by the roar of Gandiva. Hearing that sound of Gandiva, the heroic warriors led by King Virata, and the heroic Drupada, king of the Panchalas, came to that place with unbroken spirit. But all your armies, wherever the sound born of Gandiva was heard, gave way at once in that very place; no one came forth to stand against him.
3892bf7b172d · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:22:45 PM UTC
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When Krishna returns to the chariot, Arjuna finally acts without his earlier restraint. The power of Gandiva here is not separate from Krishna's presence: the warrior's resolve becomes whole only when joined to the guidance of the Lord.