Shloka 81
शिखण्डिनस्ततः: क्रुद्धः क्षुरप्रेण महारथ: । धनुश्रिच्छेद समरे प्रहसन्निव सात्वत:,तब उन महारथियोंने भी कृतवर्माको सात-सात बाण मारे। उस समय क्रोधमें भरे हुए महारथी कृतवर्माने हँसते हुए ही समरांगणमें एक क्षुरप्रद्वारा शिखण्डीका धनुष काट डाला
śikhaṇḍinas tataḥ kruddhaḥ kṣurapreṇa mahārathaḥ | dhanuś ciccheda samare prahasann iva sātvataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the mighty warrior Kṛtavarmā, inflamed with anger, smiling as if in derision amid the battle, severed Śikhaṇḍin’s bow with a razor-edged arrow. The act underscores the ruthless skill of war, where mastery over weapons is used to disarm an opponent and shift the balance of combat, regardless of personal feeling or moral hesitation in the moment.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where tactical superiority—such as disarming an opponent—can decide outcomes swiftly. It also reflects how, in the heat of war, emotions like anger may coexist with a display of confidence or contempt (the ‘smiling’), emphasizing the harsh psychological dimension of combat.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛtavarmā, angered in the fight, uses a razor-edged arrow (kṣurapra) to cut Śikhaṇḍin’s bow, effectively disarming him in that moment and gaining an advantage in the ongoing battle.