Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तयोरासीत्‌ सुतुमुल: सम्प्रहार: सुदारुण: । नखदंष्टायुधवतोर्व्याच्रयोरिव दृप्तयो:,नख और दाढ़ोंसे ही आयुधका काम लेनेवाले दो उन्मत्त व्याप्रोंकी भाँति उन दोनोंमें अत्यन्त भयंकर एवं घमासान युद्ध छिड़ा हुआ था

Transliteration

tayor āsīt sutumulaḥ samprahāraḥ sudāruṇaḥ | nakhadaṃṣṭāyudhavator vyāghrayor iva dṛptayoḥ ||

Translation

Between those two there arose a fiercely tumultuous and exceedingly dreadful clash. Like two enraged tigers, proud and maddened, who make their very nails and fangs their weapons, they fell upon each other in a savage, close-quartered fight.

Word by Word

तयोःof those two

आसीत्was

सुतुमुलःvery tumultuous

सम्प्रहारःcombat, clash

सुदारुणःvery dreadful

नखclaws

दंष्टाfangs/teeth

आयुधवतॊःof the two having weapons

व्याघ्रयोःof two tigers

इवlike, as

दृप्तयोःof the two proud/maddened

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

two combatants (unnamed in this verse)

tigers (vyāghra) as simile

claws (nakha)

fangs (daṃṣṭā)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses the tiger-simile to warn that when pride and fury dominate, conflict becomes brutal and indiscriminate—strength turns into mere instrumentality of harm. Ethically, it points toward the dharmic need for restraint (dama) and humility, without which even the powerful descend into destructive frenzy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura describes a ferocious hand-to-hand clash between two opponents. The fight is so close and savage that it is compared to two maddened tigers relying on claws and fangs—emphasizing the intensity and cruelty of the encounter.