Shloka 45

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यं हि रणे शूरा: केशेष्वाक्षिप्प मानिन: । नखदन्तैरयुध्यन्त मुष्टिभिजनुभिस्तथा,कितने ही मानी शूरवीर उस रफणक्षेत्रमें एक-दूसरेके केश पकड़कर नखों, दाँतों, मुक्कों और घुटनोंसे प्रहार करते हुए लड़ रहे थे

Transliteration

anyonyam hi raṇe śūrāḥ keśeṣv ākṣipya māninaḥ | nakhadantair ayudhyanta muṣṭibhī janubhis tathā ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: En aquella batalla, héroes orgullosos se trabaron cuerpo a cuerpo, asiendo al otro por los cabellos, y lucharon sin armas: golpeaban con uñas y dientes, con puños y también con las rodillas.

Word by Word

अन्योन्यम्mutually, each other

हिindeed, for

रणेin battle

शूराःheroes, brave warriors

केशेषुin/at the hair (by the hair)

आक्षिप्यhaving seized, having grabbed

मानिनःproud, self-respecting

नखदन्तैःwith nails and teeth

अयुध्यन्तthey fought

मुष्टिभिःwith fists

जनुभिःwith knees

तथाand also, likewise

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

battlefield (raṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how pride (māna) and rage can erode the norms of righteous combat, pushing warriors from weapon-based, rule-governed fighting into uncontrolled physical brutality—serving as an ethical warning about the degradation of conduct in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that on the battlefield warriors closed in on each other, grabbed hair, and fought at close quarters using nails, teeth, fists, and knees—indicating intense, chaotic hand-to-hand combat.