Shloka 37
शल्य–युधिष्ठिरयुद्धप्रारम्भः
Commencement of the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel
तेषामासीन्महाराज व्यतिक्षेप: परस्परम् सिंहानामामिषेप्सूनां कूजतामिव संयुगे,महाराज! जैसे मांसके लोभसे सिंह गर्जते हुए आपसमें लड़ते हों, उसी प्रकार उस युद्धस्थलमें उन समस्त योद्धाओंका एक-दूसरेके प्रति भयंकर प्रहार हो रहा था
teṣām āsīn mahārāja vyatikṣepaḥ parasparam | siṁhānām āmiṣepsūnāṁ kūjatām iva saṁyuge ||
Wahai Raja, di antara para prajurit itu terjadilah benturan sengit satu sama lain—bagaikan singa yang menginginkan daging, mengaum saat bertarung. Demikianlah di medan laga mereka saling menghantam dengan pukulan yang mengerikan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, once war is fully engaged, combatants can be driven by raw appetite for victory and destruction, resembling predatory animals. It implicitly warns that unchecked aggression and desire (lobha/īpsā) can eclipse discernment and dharmic restraint, turning the battlefield into a scene of mutual ruin.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the warriors on the battlefield have become thoroughly entangled in close combat, striking one another fiercely. He heightens the scene with a simile: like roaring lions fighting over flesh, the fighters clash with terrifying force.