Shloka 26
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
तौ नखैरिव शार्दूलौ दन्तैरिव महाद्विपौ
tau nakhair iva śārdūlau dantair iva mahādvipau
Sañjaya berkata: Keduanya, laksana harimau dengan cakar dan laksana gajah perkasa dengan gading, saling mendekap dalam himpitan perang yang garang—masing-masing hendak menundukkan yang lain tanpa jeda.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily functions as battlefield poetics: it highlights how, in war, combatants can become embodiments of raw force. Ethically, it underscores the Mahabharata’s recurring tension—valor and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) are praised, yet the imagery also reminds the listener of war’s animal-like ferocity and the peril of letting violence define one’s nature.
Sañjaya describes two opposing fighters engaging at close quarters. Their mutual assault is likened to tigers striking with claws and to great elephants goring with tusks, conveying an intense, evenly matched clash.