Shloka 11
तस्य तत्कुर्वत: कर्म नकुलस्य सुतो रणे । अर्धचन्द्रेण चिच्छेद चापं रत्नविभूषितम्,यह देख रणक्षेत्रमें नकुलपुत्रने पूर्वोक्त कर्म करनेवाले चित्रसेनके रत्नविभूषित धनुषको एक अर्धचन्द्राकार बाणसे काट डाला
tasya tat kurvataḥ karma nakulasya suto raṇe | ardhacandreṇa ciccheda cāpaṁ ratnavibhūṣitam ||
Sañjaya said: As he was engaged in that very action on the battlefield, Nakula’s son struck and cleanly severed his jewel-adorned bow with a crescent-headed arrow. In the moral texture of the epic’s war, this is a decisive act of martial skill: disabling the opponent’s weapon to check his momentum and curb further harm, rather than merely trading blows without restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial conduct: a warrior may neutralize an opponent’s capacity to harm by targeting the weapon. It underscores skill guided by purpose—checking aggression efficiently rather than indulging in uncontrolled violence.
During the fight, as Citraseṇa is carrying out his attack, Nakula’s son (Śatanīka) shoots a crescent-headed arrow that slices through Citraseṇa’s jewel-decorated bow, disarming him mid-action.