Shloka 15
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
युध्यतां हि तथा राजन् विशेषो न व्यदृश्यत । यततां शत्रुनाशाय कृतप्रतिकृतेषिणाम्
yudhyatāṃ hi tathā rājan viśeṣo na vyadṛśyata | yatatāṃ śatrunāśāya kṛtapratikṛteṣiṇām ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, ketika mereka bertempur demikian, tak tampak perbedaan di antara keduanya. Kedua pihak sama-sama bertekad membinasakan musuh dan ingin membalas pukulan dengan pukulan; mereka berlomba menangkis senjata satu sama lain, sehingga dalam pertempuran mereka tampak setara.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, once driven by the aim of enemy-destruction and retaliation, opposing sides can become ethically and behaviorally indistinguishable in the heat of war—suggesting that vengeance tends to erase moral differentiation.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that in the ongoing battle both parties were equally intent on killing foes and countering weapons; therefore, no visible superiority or difference between the two sides could be perceived at that moment.