Shloka 26
देवसत्रे मृत्युनिरोधः, पूर्वेन्द्राणां मानुषावतरणम्, द्रौपदी-वरकथनम्
Suspension of Death at the Devasatra; Former Indras’ Human Descent; Draupadī’s Boon Etiology
आचर्कर्षतुरन्योन्यं मुष्टिभिश्वापि जघ्नतुः । ततश्नट्चटाशब्द: सुघोरो हूभवत् तयो:,इस प्रकार वे एक-दूसरेको खींचते और मुक्कोंसे मारते थे। उस समय घूँसोंकी मारसे दोनोंके शरीरोंपर अत्यन्त भयंकर “चट-चट” शब्द हो रहा था। वे परस्पर इस प्रकार प्रहार कर रहे थे, मानो पत्थर टकरा रहे हों। लगभग दो घड़ीतक दोनों उस युद्धमें एक-दूसरेको खींचते और ठेलते रहे
Vaiśampāyana uvāca |
ācarakarṣatur anyonyaṃ muṣṭibhiś cāpi jaghnatuḥ |
tataś caṭ-caṭā-śabdaḥ sughoro 'bhavat tayoḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: They grappled with one another, dragging each other close, and struck each other with their fists. Then, between the two of them, a terribly harsh “chat-chat” sound arose—like stones clashing—so fierce was the impact of their blows. The scene underscores how, when rivalry hardens into rage, strength turns into brutality and the body becomes the immediate field where enmity is made audible and visible.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked hostility manifests as raw violence: when opponents abandon restraint, conflict becomes dehumanizing, reducing interaction to force and injury. Ethically, it points to the need for self-control (dama) and restraint even amid rivalry, since anger quickly escalates into cruelty.
Two combatants are locked in close combat: they seize and pull each other, then trade heavy punches. The blows produce a loud, frightening ‘caṭ-caṭ’ cracking sound, likened to stones striking—emphasizing the intensity and brutality of the fight.