Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host
निर्मयदि तथा युद्धे वर्तमाने भयानके । अर्जुनो भीमसेनश्व मोहयांचक्रतु: परान्,इस प्रकार वह भयानक युद्ध सारी मर्यादाको तोड़कर चल रहा था। उस समय अर्जुन और भीमसेनने शत्रुओंको मूर्च्छित कर दिया था
nirmaryādaṃ tathā yuddhe vartamāne bhayānake | arjuno bhīmasenaś ca mohayaṃ cakratuḥ parān ||
Sanjaya said: As that terrifying battle raged on, casting aside all restraint and accepted limits of conduct, Arjuna and Bhimasena struck the opposing warriors with such force and skill that they were left stunned and senseless.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how war can erode maryādā (restraint and accepted norms), raising ethical tension: even righteous warriors may be drawn into boundary-breaking violence, and victory can depend not only on weapons but on breaking the enemy’s morale and clarity.
Sanjaya reports that the battle has become extremely fearsome and unrestrained; amid this chaos, Arjuna and Bhima overpower the opposing side so decisively that many enemies are left bewildered or fainted, indicating a turning pressure on the battlefield.