Shloka 41
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
व्यूढोरस्कौ दीर्घभुजौ नियुद्धकुशलावुभौ । बाहुभि: समसज्जेतामायसै: परिघैरिव,दोनोंके वक्ष:स्थल चौड़े और भुजाएँ बड़ी-बड़ी थीं। दोनों ही मल्ल-युद्धमें कुशल थे और लोहेके परिघोंके समान सुदृढ़ भुजाओंद्वारा एक-दूसरेसे गुथ गये थे
vyūḍhoraskau dīrghabhujau niyuddhakuśalāv ubhau | bāhubhiḥ samasajjetām āyasaiḥ parighair iva ||
Sañjaya said: Both warriors had broad, well-set chests and long, powerful arms. Skilled in close combat, they locked onto one another with their arms—firm and unyielding, like iron clubs—showing the grim intensity of the duel amid the wider slaughter of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the disciplined skill and physical power involved in niyuddha (close combat). Ethically, it underscores how war reduces even great warriors to brutal grappling, where prowess and endurance dominate, reminding the listener of the harsh human cost behind heroic descriptions.
Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors in a duel: broad-chested and long-armed, both expert in hand-to-hand fighting. They seize and grapple each other tightly, their arms compared to iron clubs, emphasizing the ferocity and stalemate-like intensity of the encounter.