Shloka 14
शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12
महानागौ श्ज्ञैरिव महर्षभौ । तोत्रैरिव तदान्योन्यं गदाग्राभ्यां निजघ्नतु:
mahānāgau śṛṅgair iva maharṣabhau | totrair iva tadānyonyaṁ gadāgrābhyāṁ nijaghnatuḥ |
Dijo Sañjaya: Como dos poderosos elefantes que se hieren con los colmillos, o como dos grandes toros que chocan con los cuernos, aquellos dos guerreros eminentes comenzaron a golpearse mutuamente con las puntas de sus mazas, como si fueran aguijones.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ferocity and inevitability of martial confrontation once dharma has collapsed into war: prowess and courage can be admirable, yet the imagery of beasts driven by goads hints at how combat reduces humans to compelled violence, reminding the listener of war’s ethical burden.
Sañjaya describes two leading warriors locked in close combat, repeatedly striking each other with the heads of their maces. Their exchange of blows is compared to elephants goring with tusks and bulls clashing with horns, emphasizing the intensity of the duel.