Shloka 273

नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च

Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault

Devanagari script

अर्धचन्द्रेण चिच्छेद सज्यं सविशिखं तदा । महाराज! शिखण्डीने उस समय अर्धचन्द्राकार बाण मारकर प्रत्यंचा और बाणसहित कृपाचार्यके विशाल धनुषको काट दिया

Transliteration

ardhacandreṇa ciccheda sajyaṃ saviśikhaṃ tadā | mahārāja! śikhaṇḍīne us samaya ardhacandrākāra bāṇa mārakara pratyañcā aura bāṇasahita kṛpācāryake viśāla dhanuṣako kāṭa diyā

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, pada saat itu Śikhaṇḍin, dengan anak panah berkepala bulan sabit, memutuskan busur besar Kṛpācārya—yang sudah direntang, bahkan bersama anak panahnya—lalu menahan serangannya di tengah pertempuran. Peristiwa ini menegaskan bahawa dalam perang, kemahiran senjata digunakan untuk melumpuhkan keupayaan lawan mencederakan, bukan semata-mata untuk menetak tubuh; suatu taktik yang mengekang keganasan dengan meniadakan kemampuan.”

Word by Word

• अर्धचन्द्रेण: with a half-moon (crescent-shaped arrow)
• अर्धचन्द्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्धचन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चिच्छेद: cut / severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सज्यम्: strung (with the bowstring on)
• सज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सविशिखम्: together with the arrow(s)
• सविशिखम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-विशिख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then / at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Śikhaṇḍin
• Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa)
• ardhacandra (crescent-headed arrow)
• bow (dhanuṣ)
• bowstring (pratyañcā)
• arrow (viśikha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid warfare, a warrior’s skill can be directed toward limiting harm by disabling an opponent’s weapon. The focus on cutting the bow (the means of violence) highlights tactical restraint and the battlefield ethic of neutralizing capability rather than pursuing needless slaughter.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śikhaṇḍin shoots a crescent-headed arrow and severs Kṛpācārya’s large bow while it is strung and paired with an arrow, effectively disarming him in that exchange.