Shloka 50
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
तो तथा तु महाराज गदाहस्तौ सुदुःसहौ । अन्योन्यं वाम्भिरुग्राभिस्तक्षमाणौ व्यवस्थितौ,महाराज! हाथमें गदा लिये वे दोनों दुःसह वीर एक-दूसरेको अपने कठोर वचनोंद्वारा पीड़ा देते हुए खड़े थे
to tathā tu mahārāja gadāhastau suduḥsahau | anyonyaṃ vāgbhir ugrābhis takṣamāṇau vyavasthitau ||
Sañjaya said: O King, thus those two irresistible heroes, each with a mace in hand, stood facing one another, wounding each other with harsh and fierce words—an ominous prelude to the violence that was to follow, where pride and anger eclipse restraint even among the mighty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even before weapons strike, speech can become a weapon: harsh words inflame anger and pride, narrowing judgment and pushing warriors toward destructive action. The verse highlights the ethical danger of verbal violence as a precursor to physical violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that two formidable mace-armed fighters stand confronting each other, exchanging fierce, cutting words—poised for a decisive mace-fight.