Shloka 31
अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust
वारणाविव चान्योन्यं विषाणाभ्यामरिंदमौ । निर्भिन्दन्तौ स्वगात्राणि सायकैश्लारु रेजतु:
vāraṇāv iva cānyonyaṁ viṣāṇābhyām arindamau | nirbhindantau svagātrāṇi sāyakaiḥ ślāru reje tuḥ ||
サンジャヤは言った。二頭の巨象のように、その二人の敵を屈する者は互いに迫り合い、角で突き合うかのごとくぶつかった。さらに矢の斉射で互いの四肢を貫き合いながら、彼らは衝突のただ中で—恐ろしくも壮麗に—輝いていた。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of battlefield glory: martial excellence can appear radiant, yet it operates through mutual harm. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of violence—even when performed as kṣatriya valor—since both sides are diminished by the very acts that display their prowess.
Sañjaya describes a close-quarters duel in the Droṇa Parva: two formidable warriors rush at each other like elephants, ‘goring’ metaphorically with horn-like force, while simultaneously riddling each other’s bodies with arrows. The imagery conveys intensity, equality of strength, and the brutal symmetry of the fight.