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 ||
अम्बरीष ने कहा—हे वसु! पत्थर और लोहे से बने, ज्वलित और अत्यन्त नुकीले प्रास, शक्ति, उष्टि तथा परश्वधों से एक तीव्र, काटनेवाला प्रहार उठ खड़ा होता है।
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.