Shloka 266
न्यवारयेतामन्योन्यं कांस्ये निर्भिद्य वर्मणी । तदनन्तर वे दोनों वीर धनुषको पूर्णतः खींचकर छोड़े गये झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणोंद्वारा परस्पर कांस्यनिर्मित कवचोंको छिजत्न-भिन्न करके एक-दूसरेको रोकने लगे
nyavārayetām anyonyaṁ kāṁsye nirbhidya varmaṇī |
Sañjaya said: Having pierced each other’s bronze armour, the two warriors checked one another—drawing their bows to the full and releasing bent-knot (barbed) arrows that tore and split the metal cuirasses.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic of meeting force with force: each warrior counters the other without yielding. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s sober view that in war, skill and steadfastness dominate, while moral judgment lies in the larger dharmic context of the conflict rather than in this single exchange.
Sañjaya describes two warriors drawing their bows fully and releasing barbed arrows that pierce and tear their bronze armours. By wounding and obstructing each other, they effectively ‘check’ one another’s advance in a fierce, evenly matched exchange.