Shloka 29

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 13 — Kīcaka’s Proposition and Draupadī’s Dharmic Refusal

Devanagari script

शलाकानखपातैश्न पादोदधूतैश्न दारुणै: । जानुभिश्नचाश्मनिर्घोषै: शिरोभि श्चावघट्टनै:,कभी वे रोषपूर्वक अंगुलियोंके नखोंसे एक-दूसरेको बकोटते। कभी पैरोंसे उलझाकर दोनों दोनोंको गिरा देते। कभी घुटने और सिरसे टक्कर मारते; जिससे पत्थर टकरानेके समान भयंकर शब्द होता था

Transliteration

śalākā-nakha-pātaiś ca pādod-dhūtaiś ca dāruṇaiḥ | jānubhiś ca aśma-nirghoṣaiḥ śirobhiś cāvaghaṭṭanaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: In their fury they clawed at one another with sharp nails like spikes; they tripped and threw each other down with harsh, sweeping kicks; and they struck with knees and butting heads, producing a dreadful crash like stones colliding—an image of combat driven by anger rather than restraint.

Word by Word

शलाका-नख-पातैःwith the falls/strikes of (their) nail-like spikes (i.e., nails like needles)

पाद-उदधूतैःwith (them) shaken/struck by the feet

दारुणैःterrible, fierce

जानुभिःwith (their) knees

चand

अश्म-निर्घोषैःwith stone-like crashing sounds

शिरोभिःwith (their) heads

चand

अवघट्टनैःwith collisions/strikings (buttings)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (roṣa) degrades conduct into brutal, uncontrolled violence; it implicitly contrasts such rage-driven fighting with the ideal of disciplined strength and self-restraint expected in dharmic behavior.

What is happening in the narrative?

A fierce hand-to-hand struggle is being described: the fighters claw with nails, trip and throw with their feet, and collide with knees and heads, creating a terrifying sound like stones striking together.