Shloka 81
Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)
शिखण्डिनस्ततः: क्रुद्धः क्षुरप्रेण महारथ: । धनुश्रिच्छेद समरे प्रहसन्निव सात्वत:,तब उन महारथियोंने भी कृतवर्माको सात-सात बाण मारे। उस समय क्रोधमें भरे हुए महारथी कृतवर्माने हँसते हुए ही समरांगणमें एक क्षुरप्रद्वारा शिखण्डीका धनुष काट डाला
śikhaṇḍinas tataḥ kruddhaḥ kṣurapreṇa mahārathaḥ | dhanuś ciccheda samare prahasann iva sātvataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Kṛtavarmā, the mighty chariot-warrior, inflamed with wrath and smiling as if in scorn amid the battle, severed Śikhaṇḍin’s bow with a razor-edged arrow.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where tactical superiority—such as disarming an opponent—can decide outcomes swiftly. It also reflects how, in the heat of war, emotions like anger may coexist with a display of confidence or contempt (the ‘smiling’), emphasizing the harsh psychological dimension of combat.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛtavarmā, angered in the fight, uses a razor-edged arrow (kṣurapra) to cut Śikhaṇḍin’s bow, effectively disarming him in that moment and gaining an advantage in the ongoing battle.