Shloka 23
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
नकुलका पुत्र शतानीक बाण-समूहोंकी वर्षा करता हुआ द्रोणाचार्यकी ओर बढ़ रहा था। उस समय भूतकर्मा सभापतिने उसे द्रोणकी ओर आनेसे रोक दिया ।। ततो नकुलदायादस्त्रिभिर्भल्लै: सुसंशितै: । चक्रे विबाहुशिरसं भूतकर्माणमाहवे,तदनन्तर नकुलके पुत्रने तीन तीखे भललोंद्वारा युद्धमें भूतकर्माकी बाहु तथा मस्तक काट डाले
tato nakuladāyādas tribhir bhallaiḥ su-saṃśitaiḥ | cakre vibāhuśirasaṃ bhūtakarmāṇam āhave ||
Sañjaya said: Then Nakula’s son, with three keenly whetted broad-headed arrows, struck down Bhūtakarman in the fight, severing his arms and his head. Thus, in the press of war, the attempt to bar the advance toward Droṇācārya ended in a swift and ruthless act of battlefield necessity, where valor and duty to one’s side override ordinary restraints.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh logic of kṣatriya-dharma in war: when a warrior blocks one’s advance toward a strategic target (here, Droṇa), decisive force is employed without hesitation. It highlights how duty to one’s side and battlefield necessity can eclipse ordinary moral restraints, revealing the ethical tension inherent in righteous war.
Śatānīka, Nakula’s son, advances toward Droṇācārya. Bhūtakarman intercepts him to prevent that advance. Śatānīka responds by shooting three sharp bhalla arrows, which cut off Bhūtakarman’s arms and head, killing him in the battle.