Shloka 46
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
ततः प्रहस्य समरे नकुलस्य महारथ: । (ध्वजं चिच्छेद बाणेन धनुश्वैकेन मारिष । अथैनं छिन्नथन्वानं छादयन्निव भारत ।। निजघान रणे तं तु सूतं चास्य न्यपातयत् ।।) अश्वांश्व चतुरो राज॑श्षतुर्भि: सायकोत्तमै:
tataḥ prahasya samare nakulasya mahārathaḥ | dhvajaṃ ciccheda bāṇena dhanuś ca ekena māriṣa | athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ chādayann iva bhārata || nijaghāna raṇe taṃ tu sūtaṃ cāsya nyapātayat | aśvāṃś ca caturo rājā śaturbhiḥ sāyakottamaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, laughing in the midst of battle, the great chariot-warrior struck down Nakula’s banner with an arrow and, with a single shaft, cut his bow. Thereafter, O Bhārata, as though covering him over, he assailed the now bowless Nakula in the fight; he struck down his charioteer as well and made him fall. And the king then felled the four horses with four excellent arrows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly power can shift in war: a warrior’s effectiveness depends on supports like banner, bow, charioteer, and horses. It reflects the severe demands of kṣatriya-dharma—steadfastness under sudden loss—while also reminding that martial excellence, when driven by pride or derision (prahasya), intensifies the moral harshness of battle.
Sañjaya describes an unnamed great chariot-warrior who, in the fight, first cuts Nakula’s banner, then severs his bow with a single arrow. He then overwhelms the now bowless Nakula, fells Nakula’s charioteer, and finally shoots down the four horses with four superb arrows, crippling the chariot’s mobility.