Shloka 31
द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata
अन्योन्यमभिवीक्षन्तौ गोष्ठेष्विव महर्षभौ । वे गोशालाओंमें लड़नेवाले दो बड़े-बड़े साँड्ोंक॒ समान एक-दूसरेपर चोट करनेकी इच्छा रखते हुए अवसर ढूँढ़ते और परस्पर आँखें तरेरकर देखते थे || ३० $ ।। महागजाविवासाद्य विषाणाग्रै: परस्परम्
anyonyam abhivīkṣantau goṣṭheṣv iva maharṣabhau | mahāgajāvivāsādya viṣāṇāgraiḥ parasparam ||
Sañjaya said: The two mighty champions kept watching one another, like great bulls in a cattle-pen, seeking an opening with the desire to strike. Like huge elephants that have come face to face, they pressed against each other, horn-tips meeting, each testing the other’s strength—an image of war where pride and prowess drive men to search for advantage even as destruction draws near.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial pride and the urge to dominate can narrow attention to openings and advantage, turning opponents into mere targets. Ethically, it warns that when rivalry governs perception, violence escalates through mutual provocation and relentless testing of strength.
Sañjaya describes two foremost warriors confronting each other in close combat. They glare, circle, and look for a chance to strike, compared to powerful bulls in a pen and to great elephants meeting head-on with horn-tips pressed together.