Shloka 27
तौ नखैरिव शार्दूलौ दन्तैरिव महाद्विपौ
tau nakhair iva śārdūlau dantair iva mahādvipau
Sañjaya sprach: Die beiden kämpften wie Tiger mit ihren Klauen und wie mächtige Elefanten mit ihren Stoßzähnen—ineinander verhakt in einem wilden Nahkampf, den rohe Kraft und unnachgiebiger Wille vorantrieben.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: in war, human beings can be driven into animal-like ferocity. It implicitly warns that unchecked wrath and the momentum of violence can eclipse discernment, even among the noble.
Sañjaya describes two warriors engaged in intense hand-to-hand or very close combat, comparing them to tigers using claws and to great elephants using tusks—an image emphasizing proximity, power, and mutual aggression.