Shloka 12
Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय हेमपृष्ठं दुरासदम् । कर्ण विव्याध सप्तत्या सारथिं च त्रिभि: शरै:,तत्पश्चात् नकुलने सोनेकी पीठवाला दूसरा दुर्जय धनुष हाथमें लेकर कर्णको सत्तर और उसके सारथिको तीन बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
athānyad dhanur ādāya hemapṛṣṭhaṃ durāsadam | karṇaṃ vivyādha saptatyā sārathiṃ ca tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Kemudian Nakula mengangkat busur lain yang berlapis emas di punggungnya, sukar ditandingi; ia menembus Karṇa dengan tujuh puluh anak panah dan melukai sais keretanya dengan tiga batang panah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark battlefield form: steadfastness, technical mastery, and decisive action. It also invites reflection on the ethical tension of war—skill and duty operating within a violent arena where even attendants like charioteers become targets.
In Sañjaya’s report of the battle, Nakula takes up another formidable, gold-backed bow and shoots Karṇa with seventy arrows, then wounds Karṇa’s charioteer with three arrows, intensifying the exchange between the warriors.