Shloka 24
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
तानस्य विशिखांस्तीक्ष्णानन्तरिक्षे विशाम्पते
tān asya viśikhāṁs tīkṣṇān antarīkṣe viśāmpate
Sañjaya said: “O lord of the people, those sharp arrows of his were seen coursing through the mid-air.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse itself is descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights the immediacy and intensity of battle as witnessed and reported by Sañjaya. Ethically, it underscores how war manifests through swift, lethal action, inviting reflection on the gravity of kṣatriya conflict and its consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior’s sharp arrows are flying through the sky—an image of active missile-exchange on the battlefield, emphasizing speed, skill, and escalating combat.