After comforting his beloved Draupadī with gentle and reassuring words, Arjuna, son of Acyuta’s friend, was consumed by righteous anger. He set out in pursuit of the mighty-armed son of his own teacher, his chariot bearing the emblem of Hanumān fluttering above. Sensing Arjuna’s approach from a distance, the prince—the son of Droṇa—became deeply agitated and fled across the earth in his chariot, desperate to preserve his life, much like one who flees from the sun out of fear of Rudra. When the son of Droṇa, the twice-born, found himself cornered with his horses exhausted and no refuge in sight, he resolved that his only hope lay in the Brahmāstra weapon. Purifying himself with water and focusing his mind, he invoked the Brahmāstra, though he lacked the knowledge to withdraw it, as death loomed near. Suddenly, a fierce and blazing energy erupted in all directions. Realizing the grave threat to all life, Arjuna turned to Viṣṇu and prayed, “O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one! You alone remove fear from your devotees and deliver them from the burning suffering of this endless cycle of birth and death. You are the original person, the direct Lord, transcending nature itself. Casting aside illusion through your power of consciousness, you remain established in the Self, in perfect oneness. By your own strength, you bestow the highest good—marked by dharma and virtue—upon living beings whose minds are deluded by your māyā. This incarnation of yours has appeared on earth to relieve its burden and for the constant meditation of your devoted ones. O God of gods, what is this terrible energy approaching from all sides? I do not know its origin.” The Blessed Lord replied, “This is the Brahmāstra weapon released by the son of Droṇa. He does not know how to withdraw it, as death approaches. There is no other weapon that can counteract it; only another Brahmāstra can neutralize its force. Only one skilled in weapons can subdue the energy of a weapon with another.” Hearing these words, Arjuna, destroyer of enemy heroes, circumambulated, touched water, and invoked his own Brahmāstra to counter the weapon unleashed by Droṇa’s son. The energies of both weapons met, enveloped by arrows, covering the earth and sky, growing in intensity like the fire of the sun. The blazing energy of the weapons scorched the three worlds, and all beings, terrified, believed it was the fire of destruction. Witnessing the turmoil among the people and disturbance in the worlds, and recalling Vāsudeva’s instruction, Arjuna withdrew both weapons. Then, swiftly approaching the fierce son of Gautamī, his eyes red with anger, Arjuna bound him with ropes as one would bind a wild animal. As Arjuna dragged the bound enemy, intending to take him to the camp, the lotus-eyed Lord, enraged, spoke to Arjuna, “O Pārtha, do not spare him! Kill this so-called brāhmaṇa who, though a brāhmaṇa in name, slew innocent, sleeping children at night. One who knows dharma does not kill an enemy who is intoxicated, distracted, insane, asleep, a child, a woman, helpless, surrendered, unarmed, or afraid. The wicked person, devoid of compassion, who sustains his own life by destroying the lives of others—his death is truly better, for by such sin a man falls down. And you promised to Draupadī, in my hearing, ‘I will bring the head of that arrogant slayer of your sons.’ Therefore, let this sinful one be slain—he is an aggressor, a killer of kin, and has committed a vile act displeasing to his master, bringing disgrace to his lineage.” Yet, as Arjuna considered dharma and was urged by Kṛṣṇa, he could not bring himself to kill the son of his teacher, despite his grave offense. Returning to his own camp, Arjuna, the charioteer dear to Govinda, reported to his grieving wife, who mourned her slain sons. Upon seeing the son of Droṇa brought in like an animal, bound with ropes, his face turned downward in shame for his deed and deprived of his glory by Kṛṣṇa, Kṛpī—tender by nature—bowed with compassion. Unable to bear seeing her son bound and led away, the faithful wife pleaded, “Release him, release him! He is a brāhmaṇa, truly a guru. The secret science of archery, its use and withdrawal, and the array of weapons—all this you learned from him by his favor. That same venerable Droṇa now exists in the form of his son; half of himself remains in Kṛpī, the mother who bore this heroic child. Therefore, O knower of dharma, O great one, your noble family, honored and revered, should not incur infamy through such an act. Let his mother Gautamī, devoted to her husband, not weep as I, with a face wet with tears, have wept again and again for my dead sons. If the brāhmaṇa lineage is angered by unruly kṣatriyas, that lineage quickly destroys them and their kin, even if they are pure.” King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, accepted the queen’s words, which were righteous, just, compassionate, honest, and impartial.