Shloka 54
अर्जुनस्य द्रोणिप्रतिघातः कर्णोपसर्पणं च
Arjuna Checks Droṇaputra; Karṇa Advances
नकुलस्त्रिंशता बाणै: शतानीकस्तु सप्तभि: । शिखण्डी दशभिर्वीरो धर्मराज: शतेन तु,तदनन्तर धृष्टद्युम्नने कर्णको दस बाणोंसे बींध डाला। फिर द्रौपदीके पुत्रोंने तिहत्तर, सात्यकिने सात, भीमसेनने चौंसठ, सहदेवने सात, नकुलने तीस, शतानीकने सात, शिखण्डीने दस और वीर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरने सौ बाण कर्णको मारे
sañjaya uvāca |
nakulasttriṃśatā bāṇaiḥ śatānīkastu saptabhiḥ |
śikhaṇḍī daśabhirvīro dharmarājaḥ śatena tu ||
Sañjaya berkata: Nakula memanah Karṇa dengan tiga puluh anak panah; Śatānīka dengan tujuh; Śikhaṇḍī, pahlawan gagah itu, dengan sepuluh; dan Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) dengan seratus. Petikan ini menegaskan usaha sepadu pihak Pāṇḍava untuk menahan momentum Karṇa di medan perang—gambaran dharma kolektif, ketika keperkasaan peribadi ditundukkan kepada kewajipan yang lebih besar demi melindungi pihak sendiri dan para sahabat seperjuangan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: when a formidable opponent threatens the army’s stability, multiple warriors act together, placing collective responsibility above individual display. It also reflects the epic’s ethic that duty in war is carried through coordinated action and steadfast resolve.
Sañjaya reports a moment in the battle where several Pāṇḍava-side fighters—Nakula, Śatānīka, Śikhaṇḍī, and Yudhiṣṭhira—strike the enemy champion (Karṇa, as indicated by the surrounding context) with specified numbers of arrows, describing the intensity and coordination of the assault.