Shloka 16
Pṛthā’s Atithi-Sevā and the Gift of the Deva-Āhvāna Mantra (पृथायाः अतिथिसेवा तथा देवाह्वानमन्त्रप्रदानम्)
तस्याभिपततत्तूर्ण क्षुराभ्यामुच्छिती करौ । चिच्छेद निशिताग्राभ्यां स बभूव चतुर्भुज:,तब लक्ष्मणने भी बड़ी शीघ्रताके साथ तीखी धारवाले दो क्षुर॒ नामक बाण मारकर अपनी ओर आते हुए कुम्भकर्णकी ऊपर उठी हुई दोनों भुजाओंको काट डाला। उनके कटते ही वह चार भुजाओंसे युक्त हो गया
tasyābhipatata tūrṇaṃ kṣurābhyām ucchritī karau | ciccheda niśitāgrābhyāṃ sa babhūva caturbhujaḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: As he rushed forward, Lakṣmaṇa swiftly struck with two razor-edged arrows (kṣura) and severed the two arms that were raised aloft. When those arms were cut away, the foe appeared as though endowed with four arms—his remaining pair and the two severed arms still seen in the moment of battle—underscoring the fierce, unsparing precision of righteous combat.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined, decisive action in a just struggle: when confronting destructive force, a protector must act swiftly and precisely, without cruelty for its own sake, but with the resolve required by kṣatriya-dharma.
As the attacker charges, Lakṣmaṇa releases two razor-like arrows that sever the opponent’s two raised arms. In the vivid battle imagery, the opponent is described as appearing ‘four-armed’ at the instant the severed arms are seen along with the remaining limbs.