Shloka 46
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
ततः प्रहस्य समरे नकुलस्य महारथ: । (ध्वजं चिच्छेद बाणेन धनुश्वैकेन मारिष । अथैनं छिन्नथन्वानं छादयन्निव भारत ।। निजघान रणे तं तु सूतं चास्य न्यपातयत् ।।) अश्वांश्व चतुरो राज॑श्षतुर्भि: सायकोत्तमै:
tataḥ prahasya samare nakulasya mahārathaḥ | dhvajaṃ ciccheda bāṇena dhanuś ca ekena māriṣa | athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ chādayann iva bhārata || nijaghāna raṇe taṃ tu sūtaṃ cāsya nyapātayat | aśvāṃś ca caturo rājā śaturbhiḥ sāyakottamaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, laughing in the midst of battle, the great chariot-warrior struck down Nakula’s banner with an arrow and, with a single shaft, cut his bow. Thereafter, O Bhārata, as though covering him over, he assailed the now bowless Nakula in the fight; he struck down his charioteer as well and made him fall. And the king then felled the four horses with four excellent arrows. The scene underscores the ruthless efficiency of war, where skill and strategy can swiftly strip a warrior of protection and mobility, testing resolve amid the harsh demands of kṣatriya-duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly power can shift in war: a warrior’s effectiveness depends on supports like banner, bow, charioteer, and horses. It reflects the severe demands of kṣatriya-dharma—steadfastness under sudden loss—while also reminding that martial excellence, when driven by pride or derision (prahasya), intensifies the moral harshness of battle.
Sañjaya describes an unnamed great chariot-warrior who, in the fight, first cuts Nakula’s banner, then severs his bow with a single arrow. He then overwhelms the now bowless Nakula, fells Nakula’s charioteer, and finally shoots down the four horses with four superb arrows, crippling the chariot’s mobility.