Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तत्रासीत्‌ सुमहद्‌ युद्ध कुरूणां पाण्डवैः: सह । भीष्महेतोर्नरिव्याप्र श्येनयोरामिषे यथा,पुरुषसिंह! जैसे मांसके टुकड़ेके लिये दो श्येन पक्षी आपसमें लड़ते हैं, उसी प्रकार वहाँ भीष्मके लिये कौरवोंका पाण्डवोंके साथ बड़ा भारी युद्ध हो रहा था

Transliteration

tatrāsīt sumahad yuddhaṁ kurūṇāṁ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha | bhīṣma-hetoḥ naravyāghra śyenayor āmiṣe yathā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: There a very great battle arose between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas. O tiger among men, it was fought for Bhīṣma’s sake—like two hawks contending over a piece of flesh. The simile underscores how attachment to a single, prized objective can inflame violence and eclipse discernment in war.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

आसीत्was / took place

सुमहत्very great

युद्धम्battle

कुरूणाम्of the Kurus (Kauravas)

पाण्डवैःwith/by the Pandavas

सहtogether with

भीष्महेतोःbecause of Bhishma / for Bhishma's sake

इवlike, as

आप्रfully, intensely (particle; reading uncertain)

श्येनयोःof two hawks

आमिषेover/on flesh (bait/meat)

यथाas, just as

पुरुषसिंहO lion among men

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Kurus (Kauravas)

Pāṇḍavas

two hawks (śyenau)

flesh/meat (āmiṣa)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fixation on a single objective—here, Bhīṣma as the focal cause—can drive collective violence, likened to hawks fighting over meat. It implicitly critiques attachment and rivalry that override restraint and wise judgment in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an immense clash erupted between the Kuru forces and the Pāṇḍavas, centered on Bhīṣma—suggesting intense efforts either to protect him or to bring him down, compared to two hawks battling over a morsel.