Mahābhārata · 7.24.22–23
॥
Devanāgarī
नाकुलिं तु शतानीकं भूतकर्मा सभापतिः ॥
अस्यन्तम् इषुजालानि यान्तं द्रोणाद् अवारयत् ॥
ततो नकुलदायादस् त्रिभिर् भल्लैः सुसंशितैः ॥
चक्रे विबाहुशिरसं भूतकर्माणम् आहवे ॥
Transliteración (IAST)
nākuliṃ tu śatānīkaṃ bhūtakarmā sabhāpatiḥ ||
asyantam iṣujālāni yāntaṃ droṇād avārayat ||
tato nakuladāyādas tribhir bhallaiḥ susaṃśitaiḥ ||
cakre vibāhuśirasaṃ bhūtakarmāṇam āhave ||
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
नाकुलिम्nākulimson of Nakula; son of Nakula
तुtuindeed; —
शतानीकम्śatānīkamShatanika; Shatanika
भूतकर्माbhūtakarmāBhutakarman; Bhutakarman
सभापतिःsabhāpatiḥchief of the assembly [dignitary]; [dignitary] Sabhapati
अस्यन्तम्asyantamhurling [shooting]; showering
इषुजालानिiṣujālāninets of arrows; web of arrows
यान्तम्yāntamadvancing [riding up]; riding up
द्रोणात्droṇātfrom Drona; [away] from Drona
अवारयत्avārayatshielded [repelled]; turned aside
ततःtataḥthen; thereupon
नकुलदायादःnakuladāyādaḥheir of Nakula [his son]; son of Nakula
त्रिभिःtribhiḥwith three [arrows]; with three
भल्लैःbhallaiḥwith bhallas [broad-headed arrows]; with bhalla arrows
सुसंशितैःsusaṃśitaiḥwell-honed; keenly sharpened
चक्रेcakremade [wrought]; made
विबाहुशिरसम्vibāhuśirasamdeprived of arms and head; armless and headless
भूतकर्माणम्bhūtakarmāṇamBhutakarman; Bhutakarman
आहवेāhavein the battle; in the fight
Traducción
Bhutakarman, the chief of the assembly, shielded Shatanika, son of Nakula, who was hurling nets of arrows as he rode up against Drona. Then the son of Nakula, with three keenly sharpened bhalla arrows, made Bhutakarman armless and headless in the fight.
Versión
9989ce304363 · publicado 19 jul 2026, 15:11:21 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
With three arrows the young son of Nakula deprives his foe of both arms and head — the swiftness and precision of a deadly art. The tradition does not relish the cruelty, nor does it soften it: such is the merciless reckoning of battle. It is telling that this is wrought by a youth — a stripling against a grown man — for youth yields nothing to maturity in this fatal skill. The verse teaches that war makes instruments of death even of the young, granting them no time to grow up before they must kill; that an art brought to perfection strikes surely with few blows; and that behind the dry tally of severed arms and heads stands the true, unadorned price of war, which the tradition displays without embellishment, so that none should be deceived by its false glitter.