Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

तौ परस्परमासाद्य दंष्टाभ्यां द्विरदौ यथा

Transliteration

tau parasparam āsādya daṁṣṭābhyāṁ dviradau yathā

Translation

Sañjaya said: The two closed in upon each other, meeting head-on like a pair of mighty elephants locking tusks—an image of relentless combat where neither yields and the clash itself becomes the measure of their resolve.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• परस्परम्: each other / mutually
• परस्परम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर

• आसाद्य: having approached / having encountered
• आसाद्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active

• दंष्टाभ्याम्: with (their) tusks
• दंष्टाभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंष्ट्रा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• द्विरदौ: two elephants
• द्विरदौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विरद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• यथा: as / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• two combatants (unnamed in this half-verse)
• elephants
• tusks