Shloka 22
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
तौ दर्शयन्तौ समरे युद्धक्रीडां समन्तत: । गदाभ्यां सहसान्योन्यमाजघ्नतुररिंदमौ,समरांगणमें सब ओर युद्धकी क्रीडाका प्रदर्शन करते हुए उन दोनों शत्रुदमन वीरोंने सहसा अपनी गदाओंद्वारा एक-दूसरेपर प्रहार किया
tau darśayantau samare yuddha-krīḍāṃ samantataḥ | gadābhyāṃ sahasā anyonyam ājaghnatur ariṃdamau ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Mientras exhibían por todos los flancos del campo de batalla el fiero juego de la guerra, aquellos dos héroes domadores de enemigos se golpearon de pronto con sus mazas, convirtiendo el combate en un espectáculo sombrío donde la destreza y la resolución se probaban sin concesión.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames combat as yuddha-krīḍā—‘the sport of war’—highlighting how kṣatriya valor can appear as a display of skill and courage, yet remains ethically weighty because it is enacted through sudden, mutual violence. It invites reflection on the tension between martial duty and the grim reality of harm.
Sañjaya describes two renowned enemy-subduing warriors in the midst of battle. As they circle and exhibit their fighting prowess before all, they abruptly close in and strike each other with their maces, escalating the duel into direct, forceful exchanges.