Shloka 273

नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च

Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault

Devanagari script

अर्धचन्द्रेण चिच्छेद सज्यं सविशिखं तदा । महाराज! शिखण्डीने उस समय अर्धचन्द्राकार बाण मारकर प्रत्यंचा और बाणसहित कृपाचार्यके विशाल धनुषको काट दिया

Transliteration

ardhacandreṇa ciccheda sajyaṃ saviśikhaṃ tadā | mahārāja! śikhaṇḍīne us samaya ardhacandrākāra bāṇa mārakara pratyañcā aura bāṇasahita kṛpācāryake viśāla dhanuṣako kāṭa diyā

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, saat itu Śikhaṇḍin dengan anak panah bermata bulan sabit menebas busur besar Kṛpācārya—yang telah terentang, bahkan beserta anak panahnya—hingga serangannya tertahan di tengah pertempuran.”

Word by Word

अर्धचन्द्रेणwith a half-moon (crescent-shaped arrow)

चand

चिच्छेदcut / severed

सज्यम्strung (with the bowstring on)

सविशिखम्together with the arrow(s)

तदाthen / at that time

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Śikhaṇḍin

Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa)

ardhacandra (crescent-headed arrow)

bow (dhanuṣ)

bowstring (pratyañcā)

arrow (viśikha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid warfare, a warrior’s skill can be directed toward limiting harm by disabling an opponent’s weapon. The focus on cutting the bow (the means of violence) highlights tactical restraint and the battlefield ethic of neutralizing capability rather than pursuing needless slaughter.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śikhaṇḍin shoots a crescent-headed arrow and severs Kṛpācārya’s large bow while it is strung and paired with an arrow, effectively disarming him in that exchange.