Shloka 16
काकोपमोपदेशः
The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa
सिंहाविव सुसंरब्धौ परस्परजिगीषया । जघध्नतुस्तौ रणे<न्योन्यं नर्दमानौ वृषाविव
sañjaya uvāca | siṃhāv iva susaṃrabdhau parasparajigīṣayā | jaghnatuḥ tau raṇe 'nyonyaṃ nardamānau vṛṣāv iva |
Sañjaya said: Inflamed with fierce ardor and driven by the desire to conquer one another, the two struck each other again and again in the battle—roaring like lions, bellowing like two bulls.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the craving for victory (jigīṣā) coupled with anger (saṃrambha) intensifies conflict: when triumph becomes paramount, combatants may abandon moderation, and the battlefield amplifies raw rivalry rather than reflective dharma.
Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors locked in close combat, repeatedly striking one another in the midst of battle, roaring like lions and bellowing like bulls—an image of evenly matched, furious confrontation.