Shloka 21
Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ
After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana
संनिवार्य शरांस्तांस्तु कृप: शारद्वतो युधि । चेकितानं रणे यत्तं राजन् विव्याध पत्रिभि:
saṃnivārya śarāṃs tāṃs tu kṛpaḥ śāradvato yudhi | cekitānaṃ raṇe yattaṃ rājan vivyādha patribhiḥ ||
三阇耶说道：在激战之中，舍罗陀跋之子克利帕先挡住并斩落那些来箭；继而，王啊，他以带羽之矢刺穿了谨慎而坚决奋战的切吉塔那。此景凸显战争的严酷纪律：技艺与沉着成为胜负关键，而勇武亦与险厄相随。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ethic in the Mahābhārata: in war, disciplined skill—parrying and counterattacking without losing composure—determines outcomes. It also implicitly reflects the tragic moral tension of kṣatriya-dharma, where valor and duty operate within a violent arena.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛpa, after neutralizing incoming arrows, strikes Cekitāna in the battle with fletched arrows. It is a brief combat vignette emphasizing Kṛpa’s defensive mastery followed by a decisive offensive hit.