Shloka 17
आत्मदोष-उपदेशः तथा भीम-धृष्टद्युम्नयोः संयोगः
Self-Causation Counsel and the Bhīma–Dhṛṣṭadyumna Convergence
शरशक्तिगदाभिस्ते खड्गैश्वामिततेजस: । निजघ्नु: समरे<न्योन्यं शूरा: परिघबाहव:,परिघके समान मोटी भुजाओंवाले अमित तेजस्वी शूरवीर योद्धा बाण, शक्ति और गदाओंद्वारा रणक्षेत्रमें एक-दूसरेको मार रहे थे
śaraśaktigadābhis te khaḍgaiś cāmitatejasaḥ | nijaghnur samare 'nyonyaṃ śūrāḥ parighabāhavaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Those heroes, whose arms were like iron clubs and whose splendor was boundless, struck one another down in the battle—using arrows, spears, maces, and swords. The scene underscores the grim reciprocity of war: valor and prowess, when yoked to conflict, turn equally against one’s own kind, revealing the heavy moral cost that accompanies kṣatriya combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh symmetry of warfare: even the most radiant heroes, driven by martial duty and rivalry, become mutual destroyers. It invites reflection on dharma in conflict—valor may be praised, yet the ethical burden and human cost remain unavoidable.
Sañjaya reports that powerful warriors are fighting at close quarters, striking each other with multiple weapons—arrows, spears, maces, and swords—resulting in mutual slaughter amid the intensity of the battlefield.