Mahabharata 7.111.63 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 111, Shloka 63

कर्णभीमसेनयुद्धम् | Karṇa–Bhīmasena Engagement

Chapter 111

Devanagari script

निर्विशेषमयुध्येतां मायाभिरितरेतरम्‌ । इस प्रकार अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए वे दोनों महाबली राक्षसराज परस्पर मायाओंको प्रयोग करते हुए समानरूपसे युद्ध करने लगे

Transliteration

nirviśeṣam ayudhyetāṃ māyābhir itaretaram |

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിതീവ്ര ക്രോധാവേശത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിയ ആ രണ്ടു മഹാബലരായ രാക്ഷസരാജാക്കന്മാർ പരസ്പരം മായകൾ പ്രയോഗിച്ച് വ്യത്യാസമില്ലാതെ സമമായി യുദ്ധം ചെയ്തു. ഒരാളുടെ മായയെ മറ്റാൾ മായയാൽ തന്നേ പ്രതിഹതപ്പെടുത്തി; ഭീകരസമരം സമബലത്തിൽ നിലകൊണ്ടു.

Word by Word

• निर्विशेषम्: equally, without distinction
• निर्विशेषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्विशेष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अयुध्येताम्: they two fought
• अयुध्येताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Dual, Atmanepada

• मायाभिः: with magical powers/illusions
• मायाभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• इतरेतरम्: each other (mutually)
• इतरेतरम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: इतरेतर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• two mighty rākṣasa-kings (unnamed in this pāda)
• माया (māyā; illusory powers/stratagems)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger can drive warriors into a contest where deception and counter-deception dominate; it implicitly warns that krodha clouds discernment and turns battle into a struggle of māyā rather than clear, principled conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that two extremely powerful rākṣasa leaders, inflamed with wrath, engage each other in an evenly matched fight, repeatedly employing māyā—illusory or deceptive tactics—against one another.