Shloka 366
कर्णस्य दानप्रतिज्ञा–शल्योपदेश–वाक्ययुद्धम्
Karna’s Gift-Vows, Shalya’s Counsel, and the Battle of Words
केशेष्वन्योन्यमाक्षिप्य चिह्षिपुर्बिभिदुश्च ह । बहुत-से पैदल योद्धा दूसरे योद्धाओंको निकट पाकर युद्धस्थलमें उनपर मुक््कोंसे प्रहार करने लगते थे। कितने ही एक-दूसरेकी चुटिया पकड़कर परस्पर झटकते-फेंकते और एक- दूसरेको घायल करते थे
keśeṣv anyonyam ākṣipya cikṣipur bibiduś ca ha |
Disse Sañjaya: Naquela refrega apertada, alguns guerreiros agarravam-se mutuamente pelos cabelos e arrastavam-se de um lado para outro; também se socavam e se feriam. Assim se via que, quando faltam armas e distância, a batalha desaba em violência corporal crua — imagem da queda moral da guerra, em que a ira e a sobrevivência se sobrepõem ao autocontrole e aos códigos do combate honrado.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical deterioration that prolonged war can produce: when order and weapon-based rules break down, combat turns into desperate, bodily brutality. It implicitly warns that even a dharma-framed war can slide into adharma-like chaos if rage and fear eclipse restraint.
Sanjaya describes a crush of infantry at very close range. Warriors, unable to keep distance or rely on weapons, grab each other by the hair, fling one another, and inflict injuries—depicting the battlefield’s confusion and ferocity.