Shloka 36
Karṇa–Sūrya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dāna, and the Amoghā Śakti (कर्ण–सूर्यसंवादः)
पेतु: शूलविभिन्नाज़ा बहवो वानरर्षभा: । स्तम्भतोरणभ ग्नाश्ष पेतुस्तत्र निशाचरा:,उनके शूलोंकी मारसे अंग विदीर्ण हो जानेके कारण बहुत-से श्रेष्ठ वानर धराशायी हो गये। इसी प्रकार वानरोंके हाथोंसे खम्भोंकी मार खाकर कितने ही निशाचर युद्धका मैदान छोड़कर भाग गये और कितने वहीं ढेर हो गये
Markaṇḍeya uvāca | petuḥ śūla-vibhinnāṅgā bahavo vānara-ṛṣabhāḥ | stambha-toraṇa-bhagnāś ca petus tatra niśācarāḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Many bull-like leaders among the monkeys fell to the ground, their limbs torn apart by the thrusts of spears. There too, many night-roamers (rākṣasas), shattered by blows from pillars and gateways, collapsed on the battlefield.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral texture of war: when conflict escalates into weapon-driven fury, both sides suffer grievously. It implicitly cautions that unchecked violence (even in heroic contexts) rapidly turns into mutual destruction, urging discernment and restraint as ethical counterweights.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a fierce battle in which many leading vānaras fall with bodies pierced by spears, while many rākṣasas (niśācaras) are smashed down by heavy blows using pillars and gateways as weapons, collapsing on the field.