Shloka 1
Pāṇḍya-vadha-anantaram Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Response and the Renewed Battle
(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके १५३ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ६६६ “लोक हैं।) #स्न्ैमा+ () अिऔमनने सप्तदशो< ध्याय: अर्जुनके द्वारा अश्वत्थामाकी पराजय संजय उवाच ततः समभवद् युद्ध शुक्राज्िरसवर्चसो: । नक्षत्रमभितो व्योम्नि शुक्राड्भिरसयोरिव
sañjaya uvāca | tataḥ samabhavad yuddhaṁ śukrāṅgirasavarcasaḥ | nakṣatram abhito vyomni śukrāṅgirasayor iva ||
Sañjaya said: O king, then there arose a battle between two warriors radiant like Śukra and Aṅgiras (Bṛhaspati). As Śukra and Aṅgiras seem to contend near the starry hosts in the sky, so too, on the battlefield near Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Aśvatthāmā and Arjuna—shining with comparable splendor—began to clash.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a cosmic simile (Śukra and Aṅgiras near the stars) to elevate the scene, implying that martial prowess is not merely personal rivalry but part of a larger order; in dharmic terms, how one fights—courage with discipline and restraint—matters as much as victory.
Sañjaya announces that a fierce duel begins, describing the combatants as shining like Śukra and Aṅgiras. In the chapter’s context, this introduces the climactic clash (traditionally understood as Arjuna and Aśvatthāmā) portrayed with celestial grandeur.