Shloka 11
कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः
Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory
तावन्योन्यं शरैघोरिश्छादयानौ महारथौ । रथवर्यगतौ वीरौ शुशुभाते बलोत्कटौ,वे दोनों बलोन्मत्त महारथी वीर श्रेष्ठ रथोंपर बैठकर एक-दूसरेको भयंकर बाणोंद्वारा आच्छादित करते हुए बड़ी शोभा पा रहे थे
tāv anyonyaṁ śaraiḥ ghoriś chādayānau mahārathau | rathavaryagatau vīrau śuśubhāte balotkaṭau ||
Sañjaya sprach: Jene beiden mächtigen Wagenkrieger, einander mit schrecklichen Pfeilen überschüttend, standen auf ihren vortrefflichen Streitwagen und leuchteten hervor—heldenhaft und von überwältigender Kraft—mitten im wilden Schlagabtausch der Schlacht.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness and prowess in battle: even amid violent exchange, the warriors maintain composure and radiance. Ethically, it frames war as a domain where courage, skill, and endurance are publicly tested, while also hinting at the tragic grandeur of conflict.
Sañjaya describes two foremost chariot-warriors facing each other. From their fine chariots they unleash terrifying volleys of arrows, each trying to overwhelm the other, and in that intense duel both appear splendid and formidable.