Shloka 30
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
खड्गमादाय सुशितं विमलं च शरावरम् | श्येनवद् व्यचरत् क्रुद्ध/ शिखण्डी शत्रुतापन:,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ शत्रुसंतापी शिखण्डी घोड़ोंके मारे जानेपर उस रथसे कूद पड़ा और बहुत तीखी एवं चमकीली तलवार और ढाल हाथमें लेकर कुपित हुए श्येन पक्षीकी भाँति सब ओर विचरने लगा
sañjaya uvāca | khaḍgam ādāya suśitaṁ vimalaṁ ca śarāvaram | śyenavad vyacarat kruddhaḥ śikhaṇḍī śatrutāpanaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Taking up a keen-edged sword and a spotless shield, Śikhaṇḍī—scorcher of foes—moved about in wrath like a hawk. In the ethical atmosphere of the war, the image underscores a kṣatriya’s fierce resolve and martial duty, even as anger and violence surge on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfast martial readiness: even amid chaos, a warrior must act decisively. At the same time, it implicitly warns that anger (krodha) fuels violence—an ethical tension repeatedly explored in the Mahābhārata.
Sañjaya describes Śikhaṇḍī taking a sharp sword and bright shield and ranging about the battlefield in fury, compared to a hawk’s swift, circling movement—signaling close-quarters combat after chariot-based fighting is disrupted.