Shloka 2236
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
जिधघांसुर्भरतश्रेष्ठ विव्याध निशितै: शरै: । भरतश्रेष्ठ! सोमदत्तपुत्र भूरिश्रवाने शिनिप्रवर सात्यकिको मार डालनेकी इच्छासे शीघ्रगामी बाणोंद्वारा आच्छादित करके तीखे बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca | jighāṃsur bharataśreṣṭha vivyādha niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ |
Sañjaya said: O best of the Bharatas, intent on killing, Sātyaki—foremost among the Śinis—swiftly covered Bhūriśravas, the son of Somadatta, with fast-flying arrows and pierced him with sharp shafts. The scene underscores the grim momentum of battle, where resolve to slay overrides restraint and the warrior’s duty is pursued through relentless force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethical tension of war: once combat is fully engaged, a warrior’s intent and duty can harden into lethal resolve, showing how quickly restraint can be eclipsed by the imperative to defeat the enemy.
Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki, determined to kill, showers Bhūriśravas (Somadatta’s son) with swift arrows and wounds him with sharp shafts, intensifying their duel in the Drona Parva battle sequence.