Shloka 14
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
ततस्तु तूर्ण समरे महारथौ परस्परस्यान्तरमीक्षमाणौ । शरैर्भुशं विव्यधतुर्नुपोत्तमौ महाबलौ शत्रुभिरप्रधृष्यौ
tatastu tūrṇaṃ samare mahārathau parasparasyāntaram īkṣamāṇau | śarair bhuśaṃ vivyadhatur nṛpottamau mahābalau śatrubhir apradhṛṣyau ||
Sañjaya disse: Em seguida, no campo de batalha, aqueles dois grandes guerreiros, buscando uma abertura um no outro, trespassaram-se rapidamente, vez após vez, com flechas. Ambos eram reis do mais alto grau, poderosos e inalcançáveis para seus inimigos; por isso, com determinação urgente, infligiram feridas profundas em sua disputa pela vitória.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of vigilance and resolve in battle: even the greatest warriors must patiently seek the right opening (antaram) and then act decisively. It also underscores the tragic intensity of war, where excellence and power are directed toward mutual injury.
Sañjaya describes two elite chariot-warriors in a direct duel. Each watches for a moment of vulnerability in the other and, once found, both rapidly strike with volleys of arrows, wounding one another fiercely.