Shloka 231
अथान्यदादाय धनु: स शीघ्र कर्णात्मज: पाण्डवमभ्यविध्यत् । दिव्यैरस्त्रैर भ्यवर्षच्च सो 5पि कर्णस्य पुत्रो नकुलं कृतास्त्र:
athānyad ādāya dhanuḥ sa śīghraṁ karṇātmajaḥ pāṇḍavam abhyavidhyat | divyair astrair abhyavarṣac ca so 'pi karṇasya putro nakulaṁ kṛtāstraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, swiftly taking up another bow, Karṇa’s son shot at the Pāṇḍava. Skilled in the use of weapons, he too rained down celestial missiles, directing his assault against Nakula.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, trained warriors respond with speed and escalating force; it implicitly warns that martial excellence (kṛtāstra) can become an instrument of intensifying destruction when driven by rivalry rather than restraint.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa’s son quickly takes up another bow and attacks a Pāṇḍava—specifically Nakula—showering him with divine missiles, indicating a fierce exchange and rising intensity in the battle.