Shloka 266
Daśame’hani Bhīṣma-yuddham — Śikhaṇḍī-rakṣaṇa, Arjuna-prabhāva, Duryodhana-āśraya-vākyam
शरौघैर्विमलैस्ती&णैर्माद्रीपुत्राववारयन् । प्रजानाथ! भूरिश्रवा, शल और शकुनिने तीखे और चमकीले बाण-समूहोंकी वर्षा करके माद्रीकुमार नकुल और सहदेवको रोका
śaraughair vimalais tīkṣṇair mādrīputrāv avārayan | prajānātha! bhūriśravāḥ śalaḥ śakuniś ca tīkṣṇaiś ca camatkṛtaiḥ śarasaṃghair varṣaṃ kṛtvā mādrīkumarau nakula-sahadevau nyavārayat |
Sañjaya said: With torrents of spotless, razor-sharp arrows, Bhūriśravas, Śala, and Śakuni checked the advance of Mādrī’s sons. O lord of men, by raining down keen, gleaming volleys, they held back the two Mādrī-born princes—Nakula and Sahadeva.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield dimension of kṣatriya-dharma: disciplined force and tactical coordination are used to restrain opponents. Ethically, it reflects how war compels even capable and righteous fighters to face organized violence, emphasizing vigilance, strategy, and the grim reciprocity of combat.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhūriśravas, Śala, and Śakuni unleash sharp, shining volleys of arrows to stop the advance of the Mādrī-born Pāṇḍava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, effectively checking them on the battlefield.