Shloka 76
कर्णभीमसेनयुद्धम् | Karṇa–Bhīmasena Engagement
Chapter 111
मायायुद्धेषु कुशलौ मायायुद्धमयुध्यताम् । वे प्रतिदिन सैकड़ों मायाओंकी सृष्टि करनेवाले थे और दोनों ही मायायुद्धमें कुशल थे। अतः एक-दूसरेको मोहित करते हुए मायाद्वारा ही युद्ध करने लगे
sañjaya uvāca | māyāyuddheṣu kuśalau māyāyuddham ayudhyatām |
Sañjaya said: Skilled in battles of illusion, the two fought one another by means of illusion itself. Day after day they produced hundreds of deceptive stratagems, each seeking to bewilder the other—showing how, in war, victory can be pursued not only by strength but also by delusion and counter-delusion.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights māyā (deceptive appearance) as a powerful instrument in conflict: skill can manifest as the ability to create and counter illusions. Ethically, it raises the tension between dharma-based conduct and the pragmatic use of deception in war, where victory may be sought through bewilderment rather than straightforward valor.
Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors who are both experts in māyāyuddha. Instead of relying only on direct combat, they engage each other through successive conjured stratagems—creating many illusions daily and attempting to confuse and overpower one another through those deceptive tactics.