Shloka 26
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
तौ नखैरिव शार्दूलौ दन्तैरिव महाद्विपौ
tau nakhair iva śārdūlau dantair iva mahādvipau
サンジャヤは言った。「その二人は、爪を振るう虎のごとく、牙を突き立てる巨象のごとく、互いに間合いを詰めて激突した――苛烈な戦場の押し合いへし合いの中で、各々が相手を屈せんとし、力と決意が休みなく試されたのである。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily functions as battlefield poetics: it highlights how, in war, combatants can become embodiments of raw force. Ethically, it underscores the Mahabharata’s recurring tension—valor and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) are praised, yet the imagery also reminds the listener of war’s animal-like ferocity and the peril of letting violence define one’s nature.
Sañjaya describes two opposing fighters engaging at close quarters. Their mutual assault is likened to tigers striking with claws and to great elephants goring with tusks, conveying an intense, evenly matched clash.