Shloka 353

Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57

Devanagari script

गदाभ्यां सहसान्योन्यमाजघ्नतुररिंदमौ | समरांगणमें सब ओर युद्धकी क्रीडाका प्रदर्शन करते उन दोनों शत्रुदमन वीरोंने सहसा अपनी गदाओंद्वारा एक-दूसरेपर प्रहार किया

Transliteration

gadābhyāṃ sahasā anyonyam ājaghnatur arindamau |

Translation

Sañjaya said: In the midst of the battlefield—displaying the fierce sport of war on every side—the two enemy-subduing heroes suddenly struck one another with their maces.

Word by Word

• गदाभ्याम्: with (their) maces
• गदाभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा

• अन्योन्यम्: each other (mutually)
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• आजघ्नतुः: they struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Dual, Parasmaipada

• अरिंदमौ: the foe-subduing (two)
• अरिंदमौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिंदम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gadā (mace)
• samarāṅgaṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ordeal: in war, courage is expressed through direct confrontation, yet the ethical weight of violence remains. It invites reflection on how quickly conflict escalates and how dharma is tested under sudden, forceful impulses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that two renowned enemy-subduing warriors, amid the tumult of the battlefield, abruptly attack each other with maces, presenting a dramatic duel within the larger war.