Shloka 303
शिखण्डिनं बाणगणै: स्कन्धदेशे व्यताडयत् । तदनन्तर शक्तिशाली कृतवर्माने बाण और प्रत्यंचा-सहित दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर शिखण्डीके कंधोंपर अपने बाण-समूहोंद्वारा गहरी चोट पहुँचायी
śikhaṇḍinaṃ bāṇagaṇaiḥ skandhadeśe vyatāḍayat | tadanantaraṃ śaktiśālī kṛtavarmā bāṇa-pratyañcā-sahitaṃ dvitīyaṃ dhanuḥ hastam ānīya śikhaṇḍinaḥ skandhayoḥ sva-bāṇa-samūhaiḥ gāḍhaṃ vyathāṃ cakāra ||
Sañjaya said: He struck Śikhaṇḍin on the shoulder-region with volleys of arrows. Immediately after that, the powerful Kṛtavarmā took up a second bow—equipped with arrows and a taut bowstring—and with dense clusters of shafts inflicted a deep wound upon Śikhaṇḍin’s shoulders. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of battle, where martial skill and resolve are pressed to their limits, often at the cost of compassion and restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war drives rapid escalation—fighters replace weapons and intensify attacks without pause. Ethically, it invites reflection on the tension between kṣatriya duty (to fight with skill and resolve) and the human cost of violence, where efficiency in combat often deepens suffering.
Sañjaya reports that Śikhaṇḍin is struck on the shoulders by volleys of arrows. Kṛtavarmā, showing readiness and strength, takes up a second bow with its string and arrows and delivers a concentrated, painful barrage to Śikhaṇḍin’s shoulder area.