Shloka 2

नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च

Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault

Devanagari script

कृतवैरौ तु तौ वीरावन्योन्यवधकाड्क्षिणौ । शरै: पूर्णायतोत्सूष्टैरन्योन्यमभिजष्नतु:,उन दोनों वीरोंने पहलेसे ही आपसमें वैर बाँध रखा था, वे एक-दूसरेका वध करना चाहते थे; इसलिये पूर्णतः: कानतक खींचकर छोड़े हुए बाणोंसे वे एक-दूसरेको घायल करने लगे

Transliteration

kṛtavairau tu tau vīrāv anyonyavadhakāṅkṣiṇau | śaraiḥ pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭair anyonyam abhijaghnatuḥ ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: وكان هذان البطلان قد عقدا عداوةً قديمة، وكلٌّ منهما يتطلّع إلى قتل الآخر؛ لذلك أخذا يضرب أحدهما الآخر بسهام أُطلقت بعد شدّ القوس إلى أقصاه، فراحا يتبادلان الجراح.

Word by Word

कृतवैरौhaving made enmity (mutually hostile)

तुbut/indeed

तौthose two

वीरौtwo heroes

अन्योन्यवधकाङ्क्षिणौdesiring each other's death

शरैःwith arrows

पूर्णायतfully drawn (to full length)

उत्सृष्टैःreleased/shot

अन्योन्यम्each other (one another)

अभिजघ्नतुःthey struck/smote

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

two warriors (unnamed in this verse)

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how deliberate, sustained enmity (kṛta-vaira) and the desire to kill (vadhakāṅkṣā) intensify conflict: when the mind is fixed on destruction, skill and strength become instruments of reciprocal harm rather than restraint or dharma-guided conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors who, already sworn enemies, engage directly in battle, shooting fully drawn arrows at each other and wounding one another in a fierce mutual exchange.