Shloka 303
Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)
शिखण्डिनं बाणगणै: स्कन्धदेशे व्यताडयत् । तदनन्तर शक्तिशाली कृतवर्माने बाण और प्रत्यंचा-सहित दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर शिखण्डीके कंधोंपर अपने बाण-समूहोंद्वारा गहरी चोट पहुँचायी
śikhaṇḍinaṃ bāṇagaṇaiḥ skandhadeśe vyatāḍayat | tadanantaraṃ śaktiśālī kṛtavarmā bāṇa-pratyañcā-sahitaṃ dvitīyaṃ dhanuḥ hastam ānīya śikhaṇḍinaḥ skandhayoḥ sva-bāṇa-samūhaiḥ gāḍhaṃ vyathāṃ cakāra ||
Sañjaya sprach: Er traf Śikhaṇḍin in der Schultergegend mit Salven von Pfeilen. Unmittelbar darauf nahm der mächtige Kṛtavarmā einen zweiten Bogen—mit Pfeilen versehen und straff gespannter Sehne—und fügte Śikhaṇḍin mit dichten Pfeilgarben eine tiefe Wunde an den Schultern zu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war drives rapid escalation—fighters replace weapons and intensify attacks without pause. Ethically, it invites reflection on the tension between kṣatriya duty (to fight with skill and resolve) and the human cost of violence, where efficiency in combat often deepens suffering.
Sañjaya reports that Śikhaṇḍin is struck on the shoulders by volleys of arrows. Kṛtavarmā, showing readiness and strength, takes up a second bow with its string and arrows and delivers a concentrated, painful barrage to Śikhaṇḍin’s shoulder area.