Shloka 19
Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)
सोअन्यत् कार्मुकमादाय समरे वेगवत्तरम् । नकुलस्य ततो बाणै: सर्वतोडवारयद् दिश:,तब कर्णने समरांगणमें दूसरा अत्यन्त वेगशाली धनुष लेकर नकुलके चारों ओर सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंको बाणोंसे आच्छादित कर दिया
so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya samare vegavattaram | nakulasya tato bāṇaiḥ sarvato 'vārayad diśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa took up another bow, swifter in its force amid the battle, and with his arrows he hemmed Nakula in on every side, shutting off all directions. Thus the war’s momentum pressed down without respite.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, technical superiority and tactical pressure can constrain an opponent’s agency. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: kṣatriya duty demands skill and resolve, yet the same skill intensifies violence and narrows the space for restraint.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa switches to another, faster bow and unleashes a dense volley of arrows, effectively surrounding Nakula and blocking his movement in every direction on the battlefield.