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 ||
Sañjaya nói: Ngọn lao rực cháy, hào quang lớn lao, lao xuống đất, soi sáng khắp bốn bề. Khi nó ập đến trên đầu, Śikhaṇḍī bắn vô số mũi tên, chém cắt nó thành từng mảnh. Vũ khí ấy vốn cực kỳ chói lọi, nay vỡ vụn, tung ánh sáng ra mọi hướng rồi rơi xuống mặt đất.
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.