Shloka 31
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 20 — Yudhiṣṭhira–Duryodhana Encounter and Escalation of Arms
परश्वथैश्वाप्यवरे पट्टिशैरसिभिस्तथा । शक्तिभिभिन्न्दिपालैश्ष नखरप्रासतोमरै:,महासागरके समान उस विशाल युद्धस्थलमें परस्पर कुपित हुए अन्यान्य योद्धा परशु, पट्टिश, खड्ग, शक्ति, भिन्दिपाल, नखर, प्रास तथा तोमरोंद्वारा यथासम्भव एक-दूसरेका छेदन-भेदन, विदारण, क्षेपण, कर्तन और हनन करने लगे
paraśvathaiś cāpy avaraiḥ paṭṭiśair asibhis tathā | śaktibhir bhindipālaiś ca nakhara-prāsa-tomaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In that vast battlefield, the warriors—enraged against one another—set about cutting, piercing, rending, hurling, and striking each other as best they could, using axes and other weapons: paṭṭiśas, swords, spears (śaktis), bhindipālas, nakharas, prāsas, and tomaras. The scene underscores how wrath and rivalry, once unleashed in war, drive men to relentless mutual destruction, eclipsing restraint and ethical reflection.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger and enmity in war lead to indiscriminate mutual harm. Even within the framework of kṣatriya-duty, the narrative implicitly warns that once wrath dominates, restraint and ethical discernment are easily eclipsed, and violence escalates into relentless reciprocal destruction.
Sañjaya reports that on the great battlefield the opposing warriors, furious with each other, attack using many kinds of weapons—axes, swords, spears, and various missiles—engaging in cutting, piercing, tearing, throwing, and killing in close combat.