Shloka 31
अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust
वारणाविव चान्योन्यं विषाणाभ्यामरिंदमौ । निर्भिन्दन्तौ स्वगात्राणि सायकैश्लारु रेजतु:
vāraṇāv iva cānyonyaṁ viṣāṇābhyām arindamau | nirbhindantau svagātrāṇi sāyakaiḥ ślāru reje tuḥ ||
قال سانجيا: كفيلين عظيمين، تقارب هذان القامعان للأعداء أحدهما من الآخر، كأنهما يطعن أحدهما الآخر بقرنيه؛ وبينما كانا يثقبان أطراف بعضهما بوابل السهام، كانا يلمعان—مهيبين بديعين—في قلب الصدام.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of battlefield glory: martial excellence can appear radiant, yet it operates through mutual harm. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of violence—even when performed as kṣatriya valor—since both sides are diminished by the very acts that display their prowess.
Sañjaya describes a close-quarters duel in the Droṇa Parva: two formidable warriors rush at each other like elephants, ‘goring’ metaphorically with horn-like force, while simultaneously riddling each other’s bodies with arrows. The imagery conveys intensity, equality of strength, and the brutal symmetry of the fight.