Shloka 13
कर्णपुत्रवधः (The Fall of Vṛṣasena) — Karṇa Parva, Adhyāya 62
तथैव नकुलस्यापि हयान् हत्वा प्रतापवान् । ईषां धनुश्व चिच्छेद माद्रीपुत्रस्य धीमत:,इसी प्रकार प्रतापी कर्णने बुद्धिमान् माद्रीकुमार नकुलके भी घोड़ोंको मारकर ईषादण्ड और धनुषको भी काट दिया
tathaiva nakulasyāpi hayān hatvā pratāpavān | īṣāṃ dhanuś ca ciccheda mādrīputrasya dhīmataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the same manner, the mighty Karṇa slew Nakula’s horses and then cut apart the chariot’s pole and Nakula’s bow as well. The episode underscores the ruthless efficiency of battlefield skill—where disabling a warrior’s mobility and weapons becomes a decisive, if morally grim, tactic in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield reality within kṣatriya-dharma: victory often comes by neutralizing an opponent’s means—mobility (horses) and weaponry (bow). It invites reflection on the tension between martial duty and the harsh, ethically troubling methods that war normalizes.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa, continuing his earlier pattern of attack, kills Nakula’s horses and then severs the chariot’s pole and Nakula’s bow, effectively disabling Nakula’s chariot and combat capability.