Shloka 81
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
असिशभ्रि: पट्टिशै: शूलैस्तक्षमाणा: पुन: पुनः । तावका: पाण्डवेयाश्व न न्यवर्तन्त भारत,भारत! खड़गों, पट्टिशों और शूलोंसे एक-दूसरेको बारंबार घायल करते हुए आपके और पाण्डवोंके योद्धा युद्धसे पीछे नहीं हटते थे
asiśabhribhiḥ paṭṭiśaiḥ śūlais takṣamāṇāḥ punaḥ punaḥ | tāvakāḥ pāṇḍaveyāś ca na nyavartanta bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: “Hewing and wounding one another again and again with swords, battle-axes, and spears, both your warriors and the sons of Pāṇḍu did not turn back from the fight, O Bhārata.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in battle—both sides refuse to retreat despite repeated wounds. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya ideal of standing one’s ground, while simultaneously exposing the tragic intensity of war where duty and destruction coexist.
Sañjaya describes the ongoing combat: Kaurava and Pāṇḍava fighters repeatedly strike each other with swords, battle-axes, and spears, yet neither side withdraws. It is a snapshot of the ferocity and endurance characterizing the fighting in Śalya Parva.