Shloka 30
Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure
Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin
जातरूपमयै: पुड्खै: शरांशक्ष नतपर्वण: । तैलथौतांश्व नाराचान् विमुक्तानिव पन्नगान्
jātarūpamayaiḥ puṅkhaiḥ śarān śakṣa nataparvaṇaḥ | tailadhautāṃś ca nārācān vimuktān iva pannagān | etān paśya (dṛṣṭipātaṃ kuru) ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Vê estas flechas—com penas de tom dourado e com as juntas curvadas nos seus nós; e vê também os dardos nārāca, brilhantes, limpos ao serem lavados em óleo. Soltos do arco, jazem espalhados como serpentes. Contempla-os.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it underscores the tangible reality of war—its crafted instruments of harm and their aftermath—inviting the listener to confront consequences directly rather than abstracting violence.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle, points out arrows and heavy nārāca missiles that have been shot and now lie scattered, comparing them to serpents—an image that conveys danger, lethality, and the eerie stillness after release.