Shloka 42

Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

तर्जयन्ति च संद्ृष्टास्तत्र तत्र परस्परम्‌ | आदश्य दशनैश्लवापि क्रोधात्‌ सरदनच्छदम्‌

Transliteration

tarjayanti ca saṃdṛṣṭās tatra tatra parasparam | ādaśya daśanaiḥ ślāvāpi krodhāt saradanacchadam ||

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—तर्जयन्ति च संदृष्टास्तत्र तत्र परस्परम्। आदश्य दशनैर्लवापि क्रोधात् सरदनच्छदम्॥

Word by Word

तर्जयन्तिthey threaten/taunt

चand

संदृष्टाःhaving seen (each other); on seeing

तत्रthere

तत्रhere and there

परस्परम्one another

आदश्यhaving seen

दशनैःwith (their) teeth

लवापिeven slightly/at all (even a bit)

क्रोधात्from anger; out of wrath

सरदनच्छदम्the covering of the teeth (i.e., the lips/mouth-covering)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

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 anger (krodha) quickly manifests outwardly—through threats and aggressive gestures—showing the ethical danger of wrath in war: it dehumanizes opponents and clouds discernment, making restraint and self-control crucial even amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the combatants on the battlefield: whenever they come face to face, they exchange threats and display fierce anger, even baring their teeth—an image of escalating hostility as the fighting intensifies.