Shloka 42
तत्रासीत् सुमहद् युद्ध कुरूणां पाण्डवैः: सह । भीष्महेतोर्नरिव्याप्र श्येनयोरामिषे यथा
tatrāsīt sumahad yuddhaṁ kurūṇāṁ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha | bhīṣma-hetoḥ naravyāghra śyenayor āmiṣe yathā ||
Sañjaya berkata: Di sana berkobarlah pertempuran yang amat besar antara kaum Kuru dan para Pāṇḍava. Wahai harimau di antara manusia, demi Bhīṣma-lah perang itu berkecamuk—laksana dua elang berebut sepotong daging.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fixation on a single objective—here, Bhīṣma as the focal cause—can drive collective violence, likened to hawks fighting over meat. It implicitly critiques attachment and rivalry that override restraint and wise judgment in war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an immense clash erupted between the Kuru forces and the Pāṇḍavas, centered on Bhīṣma—suggesting intense efforts either to protect him or to bring him down, compared to two hawks battling over a morsel.