Shloka 273

नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च

Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault

Devanagari script

अर्धचन्द्रेण चिच्छेद सज्यं सविशिखं तदा । महाराज! शिखण्डीने उस समय अर्धचन्द्राकार बाण मारकर प्रत्यंचा और बाणसहित कृपाचार्यके विशाल धनुषको काट दिया

Transliteration

ardhacandreṇa ciccheda sajyaṃ saviśikhaṃ tadā | mahārāja! śikhaṇḍīne us samaya ardhacandrākāra bāṇa mārakara pratyañcā aura bāṇasahita kṛpācāryake viśāla dhanuṣako kāṭa diyā

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, at that moment Śikhaṇḍin, with a crescent-headed arrow, cut down Kṛpācārya’s great bow—already strung, and together with its arrow—thus checking his assault in the midst of battle. The episode underscores how, in war, mastery of weapons is used to disable an opponent’s means of harm rather than merely to strike the body, reflecting the tactical ethics of restraining violence by neutralizing capability.

Word by Word

अर्धचन्द्रेणwith a half-moon (crescent-shaped arrow)

चand

चिच्छेदcut / severed

सज्यम्strung (with the bowstring on)

सविशिखम्together with the arrow(s)

तदाthen / at that time

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Śikhaṇḍin

Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa)

ardhacandra (crescent-headed arrow)

bow (dhanuṣ)

bowstring (pratyañcā)

arrow (viśikha)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes