Shloka 21
ततो<भ्यविद्धाद् बहुभि: शितै: शरै: कलिज्जपुत्रो नकुलात्मजं स्मयन् ततो<स्य कोपाद् विचकर्त नाकुलिः: शिर: क्षुरेणाम्बुजसंनिभाननम्,तदनन्तर मुसकराते हुए कलिंगराजके पुत्रने अपने बहुसंख्यक पैने बाणोंद्वारा नकुलके पुत्र शतानीकको क्षत-विक्षत कर दिया। इससे नकुलकुमारको बड़ा क्रोध हुआ और उसने एक क्षुरके द्वारा कलिंगराजकुमारका कमलसदृश मुखवाला मस्तक काट डाला
tato ’bhyaviddhād bahubhiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ kaliṅgarājaputro nakulātmajaṃ smayan | tato ’sya kopād vicakarta nākuliḥ śiraḥ kṣureṇāmbujasaṃnibhānanam ||
Sañjaya said: Then the son of the king of Kaliṅga, smiling, struck Nakula’s son with many sharp arrows, wounding him severely. Enraged at this, Nakula’s son retaliated and, with a razor-edged arrow, cut off the Kaliṅga prince’s head—his face likened to a lotus. The episode underscores how mockery and pride on the battlefield can provoke swift, lethal retribution, and how wrath (kopa) drives warriors beyond restraint amid the ethics of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how derision and arrogance in conflict can inflame anger and trigger disproportionate, irreversible outcomes. It also illustrates the battlefield reality of kṣatriya-dharma, where swift retaliation is treated as a norm, even as it exposes the destructive power of kopa (wrath).
The Kaliṅga king’s son, smiling, showers Nakula’s son with sharp arrows and wounds him. In anger, Nakula’s son responds by severing the Kaliṅga prince’s head with a razor-edged arrow.