Shloka 12
अध्याय ३१ — द्रोणानीके तुमुलसंग्रामः
The Tumultuous Battle around Droṇa’s Formation
अयसामिव सम्पात: शिलानामिव चाभवत् | दीव्यतां तुमुले युद्धे प्राणेमिततेजसाम्,उस भयंकर युद्धमें प्राणोंकी बाजी लगाकर खेलनेवाले अमिततेजस्वी वीरोंका संघर्ष लोहों तथा पत्थरोंके परस्पर टकरानेके समान भयंकर शब्द करता था
ayasām iva sampātaḥ śilānām iva cābhavat | dīvyatāṃ tumule yuddhe prāṇemita-tejasām ||
Sañjaya said: In that tumultuous battle, the clash of those mighty warriors—who were, as it were, gambling with their very lives—rose like the dreadful impact of iron upon iron, like stones striking against stones.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of war: even when framed as valorous contest, it is ultimately a terrifying staking of life itself. The similes of iron and stone emphasize dehumanizing brutality and the ethical cost that accompanies martial glory.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the intensity of the fighting in Droṇa Parva: warriors of immense prowess collide in close combat, and the resulting din is compared to iron striking iron and stones crashing together.