Shloka 323

Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ

Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response

Devanagari script

अवेक्षेतां तदान्योन्यं समरे कर्णपाण्डवौ | राजन्‌! आपकी सेनाके प्रमुख भागमें कर्ण और शत्रुओंकी सेनाके अग्रभागमें अर्जुन खड़े थे। वे दोनों उस समय विजयके लिये रोषावेशमें भरकर एक-दूसरेका वध करनेकी इच्छासे रणक्षेत्रमें परस्पर दृष्टिपात करने लगे

Transliteration

avekṣetāṃ tadānyonyaṃ samare karṇapāṇḍavau |

Translation

ତାପରେ ସମରମଧ୍ୟରେ କର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଓ ପାଣ୍ଡବ (ଅର୍ଜୁନ) ପରସ୍ପରଙ୍କୁ ଦୃଷ୍ଟି ଦେଲେ। ରାଜନ୍! ଆପଣଙ୍କ ସେନାର ଅଗ୍ରଭାଗରେ କର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଦଣ୍ଡାୟମାନ ଥିଲେ, ଶତ୍ରୁସେନାର ଅଗ୍ରଭାଗରେ ଅର୍ଜୁନ। ବିଜୟ ପାଇଁ କ୍ରୋଧାବେଶରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହୋଇ, ପରସ୍ପରଙ୍କ ବଧ ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ ସେମାନେ ରଣକ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ଏକାପରକୁ ଏକା ନିହାରିଲେ।

Word by Word

• अवेक्षेताम्: they two looked at
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवेक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, dual, परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• अन्योन्यम्: each other (mutually)
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• कर्णपाण्डवौ: Karna and the Pandava (Arjuna)
• कर्णपाण्डवौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण + पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Arjuna (Pāṇḍava)
• Kaurava army
• Pāṇḍava army
• raṇakṣetra (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how wrath and the thirst for victory can dominate a warrior’s mind, turning a duty-bound battle into a personal vendetta. It invites reflection on the ethical tension between kṣatriya-duty (fighting when required) and the moral danger of being driven by anger and the desire to kill.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a charged face-off: Karṇa stands among the foremost leaders of the Kaurava force, while Arjuna stands at the head of the opposing army. They glare at each other on the battlefield, each intent on slaying the other, signaling an imminent and decisive clash.