Shloka 8
युद्धाभिकामौ समरे क्रीडन्ताविव यूथपौ । यूथमध्ये महाराज विचरन्तौ कृतान्तवत्,महाराज! जैसे दो यूथपति गजराज हाथियोंके झुंडमें खेल-सा करते हुए विचरते हैं, उसी प्रकार युद्धकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले विन्द और अनुविन्द समरांगणमें यमराजके समान विचरण करते हैं
yuddhābhikāmau samare krīḍantāv iva yūthapau | yūthamadhye mahārāja vicarantau kṛtāntavat ||
Bhishma said: “O great king, Vindā and Anuvindā—eager for battle—move about the battlefield like two leading bull-elephants sporting amid their herd; in the midst of the host they range like Death itself, striking terror and bringing inevitable destruction.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the terrifying momentum of warriors driven by battle-lust: when martial prowess is joined with relentless intent, they become ‘like Death’ to opponents. Ethically, it underscores how war magnifies human agency into an instrument of inevitable destruction, reminding listeners of the grave consequences of choosing conflict.
Bhishma is describing the battlefield presence of Vindā and Anuvindā. He likens them to two dominant elephant-leaders moving confidently among their herd, and to Kṛtānta (Yama), emphasizing their unstoppable, death-dealing effectiveness amid the armies.