छादयन्तौ हि शत्रुघ्नावन्योन्यं सायकै: शितै: । शरजालावृत॑ व्योम चक्राते5द्धुतविक्रमौ,उन दोनों त पराक्रमी शत्रुहन्ता वीरोंने एक-दूसरेको तीखे बाणोंसे आच्छादित करते हुए आकाशको बाण-समूहोंसे व्याप्त कर दिया
chādayantau hi śatrughnāv anyonyaṃ sāyakaiḥ śitaiḥ | śarajālāvṛtaṃ vyoma cakrāte 'dbhuta-vikramau ||
Sañjaya said: The two astonishingly valiant warriors—slayers of foes—showered one another with keen arrows, so that the sky itself was made overcast with a net of shafts. In this grim exchange of arms, their prowess is displayed as disciplined martial resolve, even as the scene underscores the ethical tragedy of war where heroism and destruction advance together.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the paradox of righteous martial duty: extraordinary courage and skill can be exercised with discipline, yet the same excellence intensifies the devastation of war. It invites reflection on how dharma in battle (kṣatriya-dharma) coexists with the moral cost of violence.
Sañjaya describes two formidable warriors engaged in a fierce duel, each covering the other with sharp arrows. Their volleys are so dense that the sky appears filled and veiled by masses of arrows.