Shloka 20
Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda
ज्वलितैर्निशितै: प्रासशक््त्यूष्टिसपरश्वधै: । शैक्यायसमयैस्ती क्ष्णरभिघातो भवेद् वसु
jvalitair niśitaiḥ prāsaśaktyūṣṭisaparaśvadhaiḥ | śaikyāyasamayais tīkṣṇair abhighāto bhaved vasu ||
Ambarīṣa dit : «Avec des traits flamboyants, aiguisés comme des rasoirs—lances, javelots, massues et haches de guerre—faits de pierre et de fer, s’élèverait un assaut farouche et tranchant, ô Vasu.»
अम्बरीष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reality of armed conflict: when rulers choose the path of force, the result is a relentless, piercing assault with deadly weapons. Implicitly, it cautions that decisions in governance and dharma can unleash severe violence and suffering.
Ambarīṣa is describing to Vasu the nature of a battle-onset: an intense attack carried out with blazing, sharpened weapons—spears, javelins, clubs, and axes—made of stone and iron, emphasizing the ferocity of the impending or imagined combat.