Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तौ वृषाविव नर्दन्तौ मण्डलानि विचेरतु: । आवर्तितौ गदाहस्तौ मद्रराजवृकोदरौ,शल्य और भीमसेन दोनों वीर हाथमें गदा लिये साँड़ोंकी तरह गर्जते हुए चक्कर लगाने और पैंतरे देने लगे

Transliteration

tau vṛṣāv iva nardantau maṇḍalāni viceratuḥ | āvartitau gadāhastau madrarājavṛkodarau |

Translation

മദ്രരാജൻ ശല്യനും വൃകോദരൻ (ഭീമസേനൻ)നും—ഇരുവരും കൈയിൽ ഗദ പിടിച്ച്, രണ്ടു കാളകളെപ്പോലെ ഗർജ്ജിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്, വൃത്തങ്ങളായി ചുറ്റി നീങ്ങി; തിരിവുകളും വഞ്ചനാപ്രയോഗങ്ങളും കൊണ്ട് മേൽക്കൈ തേടി।

Word by Word

तौthose two

वृषौtwo bulls

इवlike/as

नर्दन्तौroaring

मण्डलानिcircles/rounds

विचेरतुःthey moved about/went around

आवर्तितौwhirling/turned about

गदाहस्तौhaving maces in hand

मद्रराजवृकोदरौthe king of Madra (Shalya) and Vrikodara (Bhima)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Shalya (Madra-rāja)

Bhīmasena (Vṛkodara)

gadā (mace)

Madra

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 kṣatriya discipline in combat: even in lethal conflict, warriors follow a recognizable code—circling, measuring distance, and seeking a fair opening—showing that power is ideally governed by form, restraint, and tactical judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Shalya (king of Madra) and Bhīmasena, each holding a mace, roar like bulls and begin circling one another, turning and feinting as they prepare to strike in a focused one-on-one duel.