Shloka 18
Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)
नकुलस्तु ततः कर्ण विद्ध्वा सप्तभिराशुगै: । अथास्य धनुष: कोटिं पुनश्चिच्छेद मारिष,माननीय नरेश! तदनन्तर नकुलने कर्णको सात बाणोंसे घायल करके उसके धनुषका एक कोना पुन: काट डाला
nakulastu tataḥ karṇa viddhvā saptabhir āśugaiḥ | athāsya dhanuṣaḥ koṭiṃ punaś ciccheda māriṣa mānanīya nareśa |
Sañjaya dijo: Entonces Nakula atravesó a Karṇa con siete flechas veloces y, una vez más, cercenó una esquina de su arco, oh rey venerable. En plena refriega, buscó contener el poder de Karṇa dañando el instrumento mismo de su ataque.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic of neutralizing an opponent’s capacity to harm: Nakula not only wounds Karṇa but also disables his bow, showing strategic restraint and tactical intelligence within the kṣatriya framework of war.
Sañjaya reports that Nakula first strikes Karṇa with seven swift arrows and then again severs a corner of Karṇa’s bow, aiming to hinder Karṇa’s ability to continue effective archery in the ongoing combat.