Shloka 23
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
परस्परं समासाद्य दंष्टा भ्यां द्विरदौ यथा । अशोभेतां महाराज शोणितेन परिप्लुतो,महाराज! जैसे दो हाथी अपने दाँतोंसे परस्पर प्रहार करके लहूलुहान हो जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे दोनों एक-दूसरेपर चोट करके खूनसे भीगकर शोभा पाने लगे
parasparaṁ samāsādya daṁṣṭrābhyāṁ dviradau yathā | aśobhetāṁ mahārāja śoṇitena pariplutau ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Ó Rei, ao se encontrarem de perto, brilhavam como dois elefantes que se chocam com as presas—ambos encharcados de sangue.” A imagem ressalta a simetria brutal do combate: exibem-se valor e resistência, mas esse “esplendor” é inseparável do custo moral de ferirem-se mutuamente na guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of battlefield ‘glory’: courage and prowess may appear splendid, yet they arise through reciprocal harm. It invites reflection on the ethical weight of violence even when performed within the accepted duties of war.
Sañjaya describes two combatants locked in close combat, striking each other so fiercely that both are soaked in blood, likened to two elephants goring one another with their tusks.