Shloka 11
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 20 — Yudhiṣṭhira–Duryodhana Encounter and Escalation of Arms
धनूंषि बाणान् परिघानसिपट्टिशतोमरान् । मुसलानि भुशुण्डीश्व सशक््त्यूष्टिपरश्वधान्
sañjaya uvāca | dhanūṃṣi bāṇān parighān asipaṭṭiśatomarān | musalāni bhuśuṇḍīś ca saśaktyṛṣṭiparaśvadhān |
Sañjaya said: Driven by the desire to slay one another, the warriors of both armies sprang swiftly into the battlefield, bearing bows and arrows, iron clubs, swords, battle-axes and spears, maces and heavy pestles, the bhuśuṇḍī weapon, śaktis and ṛṣṭis, and other sharp instruments of war. The scene underscores how, when wrath and rivalry eclipse discernment, human strength and skill are turned toward mutual destruction rather than the protection of dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the will to destroy the other side can dominate the mind in war, converting courage and skill into instruments of mutual ruin. It implicitly warns that when anger and rivalry overtake discernment, dharma becomes obscured and violence multiplies.
Sañjaya describes both armies rushing into combat, armed with a wide array of weapons—bows, arrows, swords, axes, spears, clubs, and specialized missiles—signaling an intense escalation as the battle in Karṇa Parva surges forward.