Shloka 253

Devanagari script

प्राच्छादयेतामन्योन्यं तक्षमाणौ महेषुभि: । वे दोनों भयंकर टंकार करनेवाले अत्यन्त वेगशाली धनुष लेकर बड़े-बड़े बाणोंद्वारा एक-दूसरेको क्षत-विक्षत करते हुए आच्छादित करने लगे

Transliteration

prācchādayetām anyonyaṃ takṣamāṇau maheṣubhiḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Wielding exceedingly swift bows that thundered with a dreadful twang, the two warriors began to cover one another with great shafts, lacerating and mangling each other in the press of battle.

Word by Word

• प्राच्छादयेताम्: they two covered/veiled
• प्राच्छादयेताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आ + छाद्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3rd, dual, Parasmaipada

• अन्योन्यम्: each other, mutually
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• तक्षमाणौ: wounding, cutting up
• तक्षमाणौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तक्ष्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• महेषुभिः: with great arrows
• महेषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मह + इषु
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bows (dhanus)
• arrows (iṣu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s sober view of warfare: even when framed as kṣatriya-duty, battle rapidly becomes mutual harm and escalation. It invites reflection on how dharma in war is constrained by necessity yet shadowed by suffering and moral cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors in a fierce archery exchange. With fast, loudly twanging bows, they shower each other with powerful arrows, effectively ‘covering’ one another while inflicting repeated wounds.