Shloka 31
पुन: कुञ्जरशार्दूलौ पुन: स्वर्भानुभास्करौ । एवं मायाशतसृजावन्योन्यवधकाड्क्षिणौ
punaḥ kuñjaraśārdūlau punaḥ svarbhānubhāskarau | evaṃ māyāśatasṛjāv anyonyavadhakāṅkṣiṇau ||
Sekali lagi mereka menjadi laksana gajah perkasa dan harimau; sekali lagi laksana Svarbhānu (Rāhu) dan Sang Surya. Demikianlah kedua ahli yang mampu menebar ratusan māyā itu saling berhadapan, masing-masing menginginkan kematian lawannya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare can become a cycle of escalating hostility where strength is paired with deception (māyā). Ethically, it warns that when the aim narrows to mutual destruction, even great prowess turns into a contest of annihilation rather than a pursuit of righteous order (dharma).
Sañjaya describes two principal fighters (implied from context) resuming their clash with renewed ferocity. Their opposition is compared to elephant vs. tiger and to Rāhu vs. the Sun, emphasizing repeated engagement, formidable power, and the use of many tactical ruses, with each seeking the other’s death.