Shloka 15
द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata
तस्मान्मे संजय ब्रूहि कर्णभीमौ यथा रणे | अयुध्येतां युधि श्रेष्ठी परस्परवधैषिणौ,अतः संजय! एक-दूसरेके वधकी इच्छावाले युद्धस्थलके श्रेष्ठ वीर कर्ण और भीमसेनने समरांगणमें जिस प्रकार युद्ध किया, वह सब मुझे बताओ
tasmān me sañjaya brūhi karṇa-bhīmau yathā raṇe | ayudhyetāṃ yudhi śreṣṭhī paraspara-vadhaiṣiṇau ||
Darum, o Sañjaya, berichte mir, wie Karṇa und Bhīma—beide die Ersten unter den Kämpfern, jeder auf des anderen Tod bedacht—auf dem Schlachtfeld stritten. Schilder mir die Art ihres Kampfes; denn ihre Begegnung wiegt schwer für den Verlauf dieses Krieges und für die moralische Last einer von Rache getriebenen Heldenhaftigkeit.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can narrow even great heroes into mutual destruction—‘each seeking the other’s death.’ It invites reflection on the ethical tension between kṣatriya valor and the corrosive pull of vengeance, as the narrator is asked to recount not merely events but the manner and intent behind them.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra (through Sañjaya’s report) asks for a detailed account of the duel between Karṇa and Bhīma on the battlefield—two eminent fighters confronting one another with lethal intent—so he can understand how their clash unfolded and what it implies for the war’s outcome.