Shloka 296
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
अविध्येतां शरैस्ती3्ष्णैस्तदद्धभुतमिवाभवत् । माताको आनन्दित करनेवाले माद्रीकुमार नकुल और सहदेवने अपने मामा शल्यको पैने बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया। यह अद्भुत-सी बात हुई
sañjaya uvāca | avidhyetāṃ śarais tīkṣṇais tad adbhutam ivābhavat |
Sañjaya said: Nakula and Sahadeva—sons of Mādrī and a source of joy to their mother—pierced their maternal uncle Śalya with sharp arrows. It seemed a wondrous turn of events, for in the upheaval of war even close kin are driven into violent opposition, revealing the tragic tension between familial bonds and the demands of allegiance.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral tragedy of war: even revered family ties (nephews and maternal uncle) can be overridden by battlefield allegiance and the perceived demands of kṣatriya duty, making such violence feel 'adbhuta'—astonishing and unsettling.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the twin Pāṇḍava brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva, strike their maternal uncle Śalya with sharp arrows, an unexpected and remarkable moment amid the fighting.