Shloka 10

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 109 — Karṇa–Bhīma Yuddha and Durmukha’s Fall (कर्णभीमयुद्धम्; दुर्मुखवधः)

Devanagari script

तौ परस्परमासाद्य शरदंष्टी तरस्विनौ । शरैरनेकसाहसैरन्योन्यमभिजघध्नतु:,वे दोनों वेगशाली वीर बाणरूपी दाढ़ोंसे युक्त हो परस्पर भिड़कर अनेक सहस्र बाणोंद्वारा एक-दूसरेको चोट पहुँचाने लगे

Transliteration

tau parasparam āsādya śarad-aṃṣṭī tarasvinau | śarair aneka-sāhasair anyonyam abhijaghnatuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The two mighty warriors closed with one another, like boars with sharp tusks, and then struck each other repeatedly with many thousands of arrows.

Word by Word

तौthose two

परस्परम्each other (mutually)

आसाद्यhaving approached/encountered

शरदंष्टीhaving arrows as fangs (arrow-fanged)

तरस्विनौswift/impetuous, powerful

शरैःwith arrows

अनेकसाहसैःby many thousands (of them)

अन्योन्यम्one another

अभिजघ्नतुःthey struck/smit (each other)

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

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the relentless momentum of kṣatriya warfare: once combatants close in, pride, duty, and the logic of battle drive mutual injury. Ethically, it highlights how conflict escalates into reciprocal harm, reminding the listener that war, even when framed as duty, is inherently destructive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two powerful fighters meeting at close quarters and showering each other with thousands of arrows, each striking the other repeatedly in a fierce exchange.