Shloka 16

Devanagari script

समाहितावप्रतिमप्रभावा- वन्योन्यमाजघ्नतुरुत्तमास्त्रै: । तयोर्हि वीरोत्तमयोर्न कश्चिद्‌ ददर्श तस्मिन्‌ समरे विशेषम्‌,दोनोंके ही चित्त एकाग्र थे; दोनों ही अनुपम प्रभावशाली थे और उत्तम अस्त्रोंद्वारा एक-दूसरेको चोट पहुँचा रहे थे। उन दोनों वीरशिरोमणियोंमेंसे कोई भी युद्धमें अपनी विशेषता न दिखा सका

Transliteration

saṃhitāv apratimaprabhāvā anyonyam ājaghnatur uttamāstraiḥ | tayor hi vīrottamayoḥ na kaścid dadarśa tasmin samare viśeṣam ||

Translation

サञ्जयは語った。二人は心を整え、ひたすらに集中し、比類なき威光を帯びて、最上の飛び道具で互いを打ち合った。まことにその戦いでは、両雄のいずれに特段の優位があるかを見分けられる者は誰もいなかった。

Word by Word

समाहितौboth concentrated/collected (in mind)

अप्रतिमप्रभावौboth of incomparable power/splendour

अन्योन्यम्each other / mutually

आजघ्नतुःthe two struck/attacked

उत्तमैःwith excellent

अस्त्रैःweapons/missiles

तयोःof those two

हिindeed/for

वीरोत्तमयोःof the two best of heroes

नnot

कश्चित्anyone

ददर्शsaw

तस्मिन्in that

समरेbattle

विशेषम्distinction/superiority

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

uttamāstra (excellent astras/weapons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined focus (samāhita-citta) and parity of prowess: even among the greatest warriors, victory is not guaranteed by fame alone; in the ethical frame of the epic, battle outcomes hinge on many conditions beyond mere skill, and observers may find no clear superiority when both act with equal concentration and power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fierce exchange in which two top-tier heroes, both calm and fully concentrated, strike each other with superior astras. The combat appears evenly matched—no spectator can identify a decisive edge for either side in that moment.