Shloka 32
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
यूथपौ वासिताहेतो: प्रयुद्धाविव कुड्जरौ । जैसे हथिनीके लिये दो यूथपति गजराज परस्पर घोर युद्ध करते हैं, उसी प्रकार आपसमें लड़नेवाले उन योद्धाओंके अधिपतियोंको सब लोग दर्शक बनकर देखने लगे ३१३ || अन्योन्यस्य हयान् हत्वा धनुषी विनिकृत्य च
yūthapau vāsitāhetoḥ prayuddhāv iva kuñjarau | anyonyasya hayān hatvā dhanuṣī vinikṛtya ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Bagaikan dua gajah agung, pemimpin kawanan, yang bertarung ganas demi seekor gajah betina, demikianlah kedua kesatria itu saling menghantam. Setelah saling menewaskan kuda lawan dan memutus busurnya, mereka maju ke jarak dekat—sementara para prajurit di sekeliling menonton benturan para pemimpin mereka.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can reduce even great leaders to contests driven by rivalry and display, drawing crowds as if it were spectacle; it implicitly invites reflection on the ethical cost of treating lethal combat as entertainment and on the pride that fuels duels.
Sañjaya describes two principal warriors locked in a fierce duel, compared to two herd-leading elephants fighting over a she-elephant; they kill each other’s horses and cut each other’s bows, continuing the fight while others watch.