Shloka 54
अर्जुनस्य द्रोणिप्रतिघातः कर्णोपसर्पणं च
Arjuna Checks Droṇaputra; Karṇa Advances
नकुलस्त्रिंशता बाणै: शतानीकस्तु सप्तभि: । शिखण्डी दशभिर्वीरो धर्मराज: शतेन तु
sañjaya uvāca |
nakulasttriṃśatā bāṇaiḥ śatānīkastu saptabhiḥ |
śikhaṇḍī daśabhirvīro dharmarājaḥ śatena tu ||
Sañjaya said: Nakula struck Karṇa with thirty arrows; Śatānīka with seven; Śikhaṇḍī, that valiant warrior, with ten; and Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) with a hundred. The passage underscores the concerted effort of the Pāṇḍava side to check Karṇa’s momentum in battle—an image of collective duty in war, where personal prowess is subordinated to the larger obligation of protecting one’s cause and companions.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: when a formidable opponent threatens the army’s stability, multiple warriors act together, placing collective responsibility above individual display. It also reflects the epic’s ethic that duty in war is carried through coordinated action and steadfast resolve.
Sañjaya reports a moment in the battle where several Pāṇḍava-side fighters—Nakula, Śatānīka, Śikhaṇḍī, and Yudhiṣṭhira—strike the enemy champion (Karṇa, as indicated by the surrounding context) with specified numbers of arrows, describing the intensity and coordination of the assault.