Shloka 2
(आशीविषावग्निमिवापधूमं वैरं मुखाभ्यामभिनि:श्वसन्तौ । यशस्विनौ जज्वलतुर्मधे तदा घृतावसिक्ताविव हव्यवाहौ ।।
āśīviṣāv agnim ivāpa-dhūmaṃ vairaṃ mukhābhyām abhiniḥśvasantau | yaśasvinau jajvalatur madhe tadā ghṛtāvasiktāv iva havyavāhau ||
Sañjaya berkata: Ketika itu dua pahlawan termasyhur itu, menarik nafas panjang seperti ular berbisa, seakan-akan menghembus dari mulut mereka api permusuhan tanpa asap. Di tengah medan perang mereka menyala-nyala bagaikan dua api korban yang dinyalakan oleh curahan ghee. Seperti dua gajah besar dari wilayah Himavat, bertaring panjang dan mengalirkan cairan mabuk, bertarung demi seekor gajah betina, demikianlah Arjuna dan Karna—dua wira perkasa yang menggerunkan—datang berhadapan untuk berperang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner hostility (vaira) manifests outwardly as consuming heat—brilliant like sacrificial fire yet destructive like serpent-venom. It implicitly contrasts the radiance of fame and martial excellence with the ethical danger of being driven by enmity rather than restraint and right intention.
Sañjaya describes the moment when the two famed champions face each other in battle, breathing fiercely and appearing to blaze with anger. The imagery compares them to venomous serpents and to two ghee-fed sacrificial fires, emphasizing the intensity of the impending clash.