Shloka 72

Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)

Devanagari script

इषुभिर्विमलाभासैश्छादयन्तौ परस्परम्‌

Transliteration

iṣubhir vimalābhāsaiś chādayantau parasparam

Translation

Sañjaya said: The two warriors, showering each other with arrows that gleamed with a spotless radiance, seemed to veil one another—so dense was their exchange. The verse underscores the relentless reciprocity of battle, where prowess and resolve manifest as an unbroken contest rather than a one-sided assault.

Word by Word

• इषुभिः: with arrows
• इषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विमलाभासैः: with bright/pure-shining (ones)
• विमलाभासैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमलाभास
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• छादयन्तौ: covering, veiling
• छादयन्तौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छाद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• परस्परम्: each other, mutually
• परस्परम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrows (iṣu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a violent setting, the verse highlights disciplined reciprocity and steadfastness: the encounter is portrayed as a balanced contest of skill and resolve, reflecting the kṣatriya ethos of meeting force with force rather than yielding to fear or disorder.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two combatants engaged in an intense arrow-duel, each launching such a thick volley of shining arrows that they appear to ‘cover’ or obscure one another.