Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तौ गदाभिह्ठ तैगत्रि: क्षणेन रुधिरोक्षितौ । प्रेक्षणीयतरावास्तां पुष्पिताविव किंशुकौ,उन दोनोंके अंगोंमें गदाकी गहरी चोटोंसे घाव हो गये थे। अतः दोनों ही क्षणभरमें खूनसे नहा गये। उस समय खिले हुए दो पलाशवृक्षोंके समान वे दोनों वीर देखने ही योग्य जान पड़ते थे

Transliteration

tau gadābhighātair gātreṣu kṣaṇena rudhirokṣitau | prekṣaṇīyatarāv āstāṁ puṣpitāv iva kiṁśukau ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Struck hard by the blows of their maces, both warriors’ limbs were quickly covered with wounds and drenched in blood. Even so, they stood all the more worth beholding—like two kiṁśuka (palāśa) trees in full bloom—revealing the grim splendor of valor amid the violence of war.

Word by Word

तौthose two

गदाभिघातैःby blows of the mace

गात्रेषुon (their) limbs

क्षणेनin a moment

रुधिरोक्षितौsprinkled/covered with blood

प्रेक्षणीयतरौmore worth seeing, very splendid

आस्ताम्they two were/stood

पुष्पितौin bloom, flowered

इवlike, as if

किंशुकौtwo palāśa trees (Butea monosperma)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

gadā (mace)

kiṁśuka/palāśa tree

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the paradox of kṣatriya warfare: even amid grievous injury and bloodshed, steadfast courage and martial excellence are portrayed as a kind of terrible beauty. It invites reflection on how valor is admired while violence remains morally weighty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two combatants in a mace-duel who, after receiving deep blows, are quickly covered in blood. Despite their wounds, they appear striking—compared to two palāśa (kiṁśuka) trees blazing with red blossoms.