Shloka 23
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
ते तदा जातसंरम्भा: सर्वेडन्योन्यं जिघांसव: । अन्योन्यमभिमर्दन्त: स्पर्धमाना: परस्परम्,उस समय उन सबमें क्रोध भरा हुआ था। सभी एक दूसरेके वधकी इच्छा रखते थे। सबमें परस्पर लाग-डाँट थी और सभी सबको कुचलनेकी चेष्टा करते थे
te tadā jātasaṃrambhāḥ sarve ’nyonyaṃ jighāṃsavaḥ | anyonyam abhimardantaḥ spardhamānāḥ parasparam ||
Sañjaya said: Then all of them, seized by sudden fury, longed to slay one another. Pressing against each other and crushing one another in close combat, they strove in rivalry, each against the other—an image of war where anger eclipses restraint and the will to dominate overwhelms humane limits.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, unchecked anger and rivalry can erase restraint, turning opponents into mere targets. Ethically, it serves as a warning: when saṃrambha (violent agitation) dominates, compassion and discernment collapse, and mutual destruction becomes the natural outcome.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors have become inflamed with rage and are locked in intense, close-quarters fighting—each trying to overpower and kill the other, with mutual crushing and competitive aggression on all sides.