Shloka 9
Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)
नकुलस्तु ततो विद्ध: सूतपुत्रेण भारत | अशीत्याशीविषप्रख्यै: सूतपुत्रमविध्यत,भारत! सूतपुत्रके द्वारा घायल होकर नकुलने उसे भी विषधर सर्पोंके समान अस्सी बाणोंसे क्षत-विक्षत कर दिया
nakulastu tato viddhaḥ sūtaputreṇa bhārata | aśītyāśīviṣaprakhyaiḥ sūtaputramavidhyat, bhārata! |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, Nakula yang terluka oleh putera sais kereta itu membalas, menikam Sūtaputra yang sama dengan lapan puluh anak panah, ganas seperti ular berbisa, mengoyak dan melukainya di tengah medan perang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reciprocity inherent in battlefield ethics: a warrior who is struck responds with measured but forceful counteraction, reflecting kṣatriya-dharma where endurance, retaliation, and martial competence operate within the accepted rules of combat.
Sañjaya reports that Nakula is first wounded by the Sūtaputra; immediately afterward, Nakula counters by striking the same opponent with eighty arrows described as serpent-like in their deadly force.