Shloka 15
शतानीकमथायान्तं नाकुलिं रभसं रणे । चित्रसेनो रुरोधाशु शरैद्रोणपरीप्सया,द्रोणाचार्यके वधकी इच्छासे रणक्षेत्रमें वेगपूर्वक आते हुए नकुलपुत्र शतानीकको चित्रसेनने अपने बाणोंद्वारा तुरंत रोक दिया
śatānīkam athāyāntaṃ nākuliṃ rabhasaṃ raṇe | citraseno rurodhāśu śarair droṇaparīpsayā ||
Sañjaya said: As Śatānīka, the son of Nakula, rushed impetuously into the battle, Citrasena swiftly checked him with volleys of arrows, driven by the desire to reach (or secure) Droṇācārya—i.e., with the aim of pressing the fight toward Droṇa’s side and purpose in the conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how battlefield actions are driven by intention (parīpsā): warriors restrain or advance not randomly but to serve a strategic aim—here, pressing toward Droṇācārya. Ethically, it underscores that in war, agency and motive shape the moral and narrative weight of an act.
Śatānīka, Nakula’s son, charges forward in the fight. Citrasena immediately blocks his advance by showering him with arrows, motivated by a purpose connected with Droṇācārya—seeking to reach him or further the struggle around him.