Shloka 15

Devanagari script

युध्यतां हि तथा राजन्‌ विशेषो न व्यदृश्यत । यततां शत्रुनाशाय कृतप्रतिकृतेषिणाम्‌,नरेश्वर! दोनों ही पक्षवाले अपने शत्रुका नाश करनेके लिये प्रयत्नशील थे। दोनों ही एक-दूसरेके अस्त्रोंका निवारण करनेकी इच्छा रखते थे। अतः युद्ध करते समय उनमें कोई अन्तर नहीं दिखायी देता था

Transliteration

yudhyatāṃ hi tathā rājan viśeṣo na vyadṛśyata | yatatāṃ śatrunāśāya kṛtapratikṛteṣiṇām ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «О царь, когда они сражались так, между ними не было видно никакого различия. Обе стороны, стремясь уничтожить врага и жаждая отплатить ударом за удар, старались отражать оружие друг друга; потому в самом бою они казались равными.»

Word by Word

युध्यताम्of the two (armies) fighting

हिindeed/for

तथाthus/in that manner

राजन्O king

विशेषःdifference/distinction

नnot

व्यदृश्यतwas seen/appeared

यतताम्of those striving/endeavouring

शत्रु-नाशायfor the destruction of the enemy

कृत-प्रतिकृतेषिणाम्of those desiring to counteract/repay what was done (i.e., to retaliate)

नर-ईश्वरO lord of men (king)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, once driven by the aim of enemy-destruction and retaliation, opposing sides can become ethically and behaviorally indistinguishable in the heat of war—suggesting that vengeance tends to erase moral differentiation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that in the ongoing battle both parties were equally intent on killing foes and countering weapons; therefore, no visible superiority or difference between the two sides could be perceived at that moment.