Shloka 14
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
ततस्तु तूर्ण समरे महारथौ परस्परस्यान्तरमीक्षमाणौ । शरैर्भुशं विव्यधतुर्नुपोत्तमौ महाबलौ शत्रुभिरप्रधृष्यौ
tatastu tūrṇaṃ samare mahārathau parasparasyāntaram īkṣamāṇau | śarair bhuśaṃ vivyadhatur nṛpottamau mahābalau śatrubhir apradhṛṣyau ||
Sañjaya dijo: Luego, en el combate, aquellos dos grandes guerreros, acechando una abertura en el otro, se hirieron con rapidez una y otra vez con sus flechas. Ambos eran reyes de la más alta estirpe, poderosos e inabordables para sus enemigos; por eso, con apremiante determinación, se infligieron profundas heridas en su pugna por la victoria.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of vigilance and resolve in battle: even the greatest warriors must patiently seek the right opening (antaram) and then act decisively. It also underscores the tragic intensity of war, where excellence and power are directed toward mutual injury.
Sañjaya describes two elite chariot-warriors in a direct duel. Each watches for a moment of vulnerability in the other and, once found, both rapidly strike with volleys of arrows, wounding one another fiercely.