तयो: प्रभावमतुलं शृणु युद्ध तु तत् तथा । उन्हें ब्रह्मा आदि देवता और सिद्ध पुरुष ही यथार्थ रूपसे जान पाते हैं। उन दोनोंके प्रभावकी कहीं तुलना नहीं है। अच्छा, अब युद्धका वृत्तान्त सुनिये
tayoḥ prabhāvam atulaṃ śṛṇu yuddhaṃ tu tat tathā |
Sanjaya said: Hear now of the incomparable might of those two; no true measure or comparison of their power exists. Even Brahmā and the primeval gods, and the perfected sages alone can know them as they really are. Now, listen to the account of the battle as it unfolded.
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the limits of ordinary judgment in assessing extraordinary beings: some forms of power and destiny in war are beyond common comparison and are truly known only to higher divine or perfected witnesses. It frames the narrative with humility before cosmic scale and truth.
Sanjaya transitions into describing the battle by first emphasizing the unmatched prowess of “those two” (contextually, two principal warriors) and asserting that only Brahmā, the gods, and siddhas can fully know their real nature; he then invites the listener to hear the ensuing war report.