Shloka 376
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
पृथक् शराभ्यां चिच्छेद कृतहस्त: प्रतापवान् । तत्पश्चात् सिद्धहस्त और प्रतापी वीर सत्यसेनने पृथक्-पृथक् दो-दो बाणोंसे नकुलका धनुष और उनके रथके ईषादण्ड भी काट डाले
sañjaya uvāca | pṛthak śarābhyāṃ ciccheda kṛtahastaḥ pratāpavān | tatpaścāt siddhahastaḥ pratāpī vīraḥ satyasenaḥ pṛthak-pṛthak dvi-dvi bāṇaiḥ nakulasya dhanuḥ tasya rathasya ca īṣādaṇḍam api chittvā nyapātayat |
Sanjaya disse: O poderoso guerreiro, hábil de mão e cheio de vigor, decepou-os com duas flechas distintas. Depois, o heroico Satyasena—de mão segura e temível—cortou, com pares de setas disparadas separadamente, o arco de Nakula e até mesmo a haste (o timão) de sua carruagem.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, prowess is shown through controlled precision—disabling an opponent’s weapons and chariot rather than merely seeking a direct kill—reflecting the tactical dimension of kṣatriya conduct within the harsh framework of battlefield dharma.
Sanjaya narrates that the warrior Satyasena, with expert aim, cuts with separate pairs of arrows Nakula’s bow and even the pole of Nakula’s chariot, thereby crippling Nakula’s ability to fight and maneuver.