Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 16
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
भरतनन्दन! वीर भीमसेन भाँति-भाँतिके मार्गों और मण्डलोंका प्रदर्शन करते हुए पुनः बड़ी शोभा पाने लगे ।।
bharatanandana! vīro bhīmasenaḥ bhānti-bhāntike mārgān maṇḍalāni ca pradarśayan punaḥ mahāśobhayā śuśubhe. tau parasparam āsādya yattāv anyonya-rakṣaṇe, mārjārāv iva bhakṣārthaṃ tata-kṣāte muhur muhuḥ.
संजय म्हणाला—हे भरतनंदन! वीर भीमसेन नानाविध मार्ग व मण्डले दाखवीत पुन्हा महान शोभा प्राप्त करू लागला। मग ते दोघे परस्परांवर झडप घालून, एकमेकांपासून स्वतःचे रक्षण करण्यास तत्पर राहून, अन्नाच्या तुकड्यासाठी भांडणाऱ्या दोन मांजरांसारखे वारंवार प्रहार-प्रतिप्रहार करू लागले।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in war: even great heroes must balance prowess with self-protection. The cat-simile underscores how fierce conflict can reduce opponents to instinctive struggle over a ‘prize,’ reminding the listener that unchecked rivalry and attachment to gain can make combat brutal and repetitive.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s impressive battlefield movement—varied paths and circular turns—after which the two fighters close in. They repeatedly exchange blows while each tries to defend himself, likened to two cats quarrelling over a morsel.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.