Shloka 61
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
ततोअस्य छेत्तुमारब्ध: शिर: कायात् सकुण्डलम् | तावत्क्षणात् सात्वतो5ति शिर: सम्भ्रमयंस्त्वरन्,फिर उसने उनके कुण्डलमण्डित मस्तकको धड़से अलग कर देनेका उद्योग आरम्भ किया। उस समय सात्यकि भी बड़ी शीघ्रताके साथ अपने मस्तकको घुमाने लगे
tato ’sya chettum ārabdhaḥ śiraḥ kāyāt sakuṇḍalam | tāvat-kṣaṇāt sātvato ’pi śiraḥ sambhramayan tvaran ||
Sañjaya said: Then he began the attempt to sever his head—adorned with earrings—from the body. In that very instant, the Sātvata warrior too, acting with urgent speed, started to whirl his head about, seeking to evade the blow. The scene underscores the brutal immediacy of battlefield intent and the quick, self-preserving reflex that arises when life is threatened.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the razor-thin boundary between life and death in war: lethal intent is met by immediate vigilance and swift bodily response. Ethically, it reflects the grim reality of kṣatriya warfare where survival depends on alertness and rapid action, even as violence escalates.
An attacker begins to cut off a warrior’s earring-adorned head from his body. At that instant, the Sātvata (Sātyaki) quickly whirls his head, attempting to avoid the strike.