Shloka 23
नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च
Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault
तमाचार्यों महाराज विद्ध्वा पठ्चभिराशुगै: । पुनर्विव्याध विंशत्या पुत्राणां प्रियकृत् तव,महाराज! तब आपके पुत्रोंका प्रिय करनेवाले कृपाचार्यने शिखण्डीको पाँच बाणोंसे बींधकर फिर बीस बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
tam ācāryo mahārāja viddhvā pañcabhir āśugaiḥ |
punar vivyādha viṃśatyā putrāṇāṃ priyakṛt tava ||
Disse Sañjaya: Ó rei, depois de atingi-lo, o preceptor Kṛpa—sempre empenhado em fazer o que era caro aos teus filhos—traspassou aquele guerreiro com cinco flechas velozes e, em seguida, voltou a feri-lo com mais vinte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between personal loyalty and the ethical burden of warfare: Kṛpa’s commitment to what benefits Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons leads him to relentless martial action, illustrating how allegiance and perceived duty can intensify violence even when moral clarity is strained.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛpācārya strikes Śikhaṇḍin with five swift arrows and then wounds him again with twenty more, describing a rapid, repeated assault in the ongoing battle.