Shloka 42
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
सदश्चवाविव हेषन्तौ बृहन्ताविव कुञ्जरौ । वृषभाविव गर्जन्तौ दुर्योधनवृकोदरौ
sadaścavāviva heṣantau bṛhantāviva kuñjarau | vṛṣabhāviva garjantau duryodhana-vṛkodarau
Sañjaya said: “Duryodhana and Vṛkodara (Bhīma) were neighing like spirited steeds, towering like great elephants, and roaring like mighty bulls.” In this war-scene, the poet heightens the moral tension: two champions, driven by pride, wrath, and the burden of past vows, confront one another with animal-like force—suggesting how battle can reduce human deliberation and dharmic restraint to raw, overpowering impulse.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how the fury of war amplifies pride and aggression, portraying even great warriors through animal similes. Implicitly, it warns that when anger and rivalry dominate, human discernment and dharmic restraint can be eclipsed by brute force.
Sañjaya describes Duryodhana and Bhīma at the height of confrontation, emphasizing their intimidating sounds and presence—neighing, looming like elephants, and roaring like bulls—signaling an imminent, violent clash between the two principal antagonists.