धनंजयस् तथा यान्तं पृष्ठतो द्रौणिम् अभ्ययात् ॥
नातिदीर्घम् इवाध्वानं शरैः संत्रासयन् बलम् ॥
विदार्य देहान् नाराचैर् नरवारणवाजिनाम् ॥
कङ्कबर्हिणवासोभिर् बलं व्यधमद् अर्जुनः ॥
तद् बलं भरतश्रेष्ठ सवाजिद्विपमानवम् ॥
पाकशासनिर् आयस्तः पार्थः संनिजघान ह ॥
dhanaṃjayas tathā yāntaṃ pṛṣṭhato drauṇim abhyayāt ||
nātidīrgham ivādhvānaṃ śaraiḥ saṃtrāsayan balam ||
vidārya dehān nārācair naravāraṇavājinām ||
kaṅkabarhiṇavāsobhir balaṃ vyadhamad arjunaḥ ||
tad balaṃ bharataśreṣṭha savājidvipamānavam ||
pākaśāsanir āyastaḥ pārthaḥ saṃnijaghāna ha ||
Dhananjaya rushed from behind after the son of Drona as he departed thus, as if along not too long a path, terrifying the army with his arrows. Tearing the bodies of men, elephants, and horses with narachas, with arrows fledged in heron and peacock plumage, Arjuna scattered the army. That army, O best of the Bharatas, with its horses, elephants, and men, Partha, the son of Pakashasana [Indra], straining, crushed.
e6eb8a112be5 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Arjuna, pursuing Ashvatthaman, scatters an entire army: anger over his insulted brother turns into irresistible force. It is telling that the chapter, which began with the humiliation of Bhima, ends with the crushing of the enemy host: retribution for mockery comes not from the one humiliated but from the one who loves him. The verse teaches that love, risen to defend the wronged, is more terrible than any arrogance; and he who took pleasure in mocking the defenseless reaps the storm raised by a brother's devotion.