अथ कार्ष्णायसैर् बाणैः पूर्णकार्मुकनिःसृतैः ॥
अविध्यद् देवकीपुत्रं हेमपुङ्खैः शिलाशितैः ॥
अग्निस्पर्शसमास् तीक्ष्णा भगदत्तेन चोदिताः ॥
निर्भिद्य देवकीपुत्रं क्षितिं जग्मुः शरास् ततः ॥
तस्य पार्थो धनुश् छित्त्वा शरावापं निहत्य च ॥
लाडयन्न् इव राजानं भगदत्तम् अयोधयत् ॥
atha kārṣṇāyasair bāṇaiḥ pūrṇakārmukaniḥsṛtaiḥ ||
avidhyad devakīputraṃ hemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ ||
agnisparśasamās tīkṣṇā bhagadattena coditāḥ ||
nirbhidya devakīputraṃ kṣitiṃ jagmuḥ śarās tataḥ ||
tasya pārtho dhanuś chittvā śarāvāpaṃ nihatya ca ||
lāḍayann iva rājānaṃ bhagadattam ayodhayat ||
Then with iron arrows that had flown from the fully drawn bow, golden-feathered, whetted on stone, he wounded the son of Devaki. Sharp, searing like the touch of fire, loosed by Bhagadatta, those arrows, having pierced through the son of Devaki, went into the earth. Then Partha, having broken his bow and knocked away his quiver, fought King Bhagadatta as though sporting.
54ba294506ba · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
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The arrows pierce "the son of Devaki" and go into the earth — thus Krishna reveals His pastime: the all-knowing Lord takes the blows upon Himself as though a vulnerable man. This is not weakness but a voluntary veiling of majesty for the sake of the play of incarnation. And Arjuna fights "as though sporting" — his mastery is such that a fearsome battle is as light as play for him. The verse teaches that the Lord in His descent accepts the appearance of vulnerability, concealing omnipotence for the sake of closeness with the world; that true greatness — whether divine humility or human mastery — shows no strain but acts with ease; and that even blows that seem to pierce the Lord are only part of His play, in which He remains unconquered, however wounded He may appear.