Shloka 283
आमिषार्थ महाराज गगने श्येनयोरिव । उन द्रोणाचार्य और पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनके पराक्रमको वे सब सैनिक अत्यन्त आश्चर्यचकित होकर देख रहे थे। महाराज! जैसे मांसके टुकड़ेके लिये आकाशमें दो बाज लड़ रहे हों, उसी प्रकार राज्यके लिये उन दोनों गुरु-शिष्योंमें बड़ा भारी युद्ध हो रहा था
āmiṣārtha mahārāja gagane śyenayor iva | droṇācārya-pāṇḍuputra-arjunayoḥ parākramaṃ te sarve sainikā atyantaṃ āścaryacakitāḥ paśyanti sma | mahārāja yathā māṃsa-khaṇḍārthaṃ gaganamadhye dvau śyenau yudhyeyātām tathā rājyārthaṃ tayoḥ guru-śiṣyayor mahān saṃgrāmo 'bhavat |
Sanjaya said: O King, all the warriors watched in utter amazement the prowess of Droṇācārya and Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu. O Mahārāja, just as two hawks contend in the sky for a piece of flesh, so too a tremendous battle arose between that teacher and his disciple for the sake of sovereignty. The scene exposes the tragic tension of war: excellence and loyalty are present, yet they are driven into conflict by the hunger for dominion and the demands of opposing duties.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tragedy of war: even a sacred bond like guru and śiṣya can be forced into violent opposition when political ambition and competing duties dominate. It invites reflection on how desire for power (rājya-artha) can turn excellence and loyalty into instruments of destruction.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the assembled warriors are astonished as Droṇa and Arjuna display extraordinary prowess against each other. Their duel is compared to two hawks fighting in the sky over a piece of flesh, emphasizing the ferocity and the high stakes of sovereignty.