Shloka 27
Devanagari script
तौ नखैरिव शार्दूलौ दन्तैरिव महाद्विपौ
Transliteration
tau nakhair iva śārdūlau dantair iva mahādvipau
Translation
Sañjaya berkata: Keduanya bertarung laksana harimau dengan cakar, dan laksana gajah perkasa dengan gading—saling mendekap dalam jarak dekat, tak surut di medan laga.
Word by Word
तौthose two
तौ:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Dual
नखैःwith claws
नखैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootनख
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
इवas/like
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
शार्दूलौtwo tigers
शार्दूलौ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशार्दूल
FormMasculine, Nominative, Dual
दन्तैःwith tusks/teeth
दन्तैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootदन्त
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
इवas/like
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
महाद्विपौtwo great elephants
महाद्विपौ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहाद्विप
FormMasculine, Nominative, Dual
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: in war, human beings can be driven into animal-like ferocity. It implicitly warns that unchecked wrath and the momentum of violence can eclipse discernment, even among the noble.
Sañjaya describes two warriors engaged in intense hand-to-hand or very close combat, comparing them to tigers using claws and to great elephants using tusks—an image emphasizing proximity, power, and mutual aggression.