Shloka 296
नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च
Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault
सा5पतन्मेदिनीं दीप्ता भासयन्ती महाप्रभा | अपने ऊपर आती हुई उस शक्तिको शिखण्डीने बहुत-से बाण मारकर काट दिया। वह अत्यन्त कान्तिमती एवं प्रकाशमान शक्ति खण्डित हो सब ओर प्रकाश बिखेरती हुई पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ी
sāpatat medinīṁ dīptā bhāsayantī mahāprabhā | ātmana upari āpatantīṁ tāṁ śaktiṁ śikhaṇḍī bahubhir bāṇaiḥ prahṛtya ciccheda | sā atyanta-kāntimatī prakāśamānā śaktiḥ khaṇḍitā sarvato raśmīn vikīrya medinīṁ papāta ||
सञ्जय उवाच—सा दीप्तिमती महाप्रभा शक्तिः सर्वतो भासयन्ती मेदिनीं प्रति पतन्ती स्म। सा तस्योपरि आपतन्ती दृष्ट्वा शिखण्डी बहुभिः शरैस्तां ताडयामास चिच्छेद च। सा खण्डिता अतिविभ्राजमाना सर्वदिशः प्रभां विकिरन्ती भूमौ निपपात।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid overwhelming danger, disciplined attention and skilled action can check destructive force. The episode highlights a kṣatriya-war ethic: respond to threat with steadiness and competence, not despair, and protect life through timely counter-measures.
A blazing spear-weapon (śakti) descends, lighting up the battlefield. Śikhaṇḍī meets it with a volley of arrows and cuts it into pieces; the fragments scatter light and fall to the earth, averting its intended impact.