Shloka 283

Devanagari script

आमिषार्थ महाराज गगने श्येनयोरिव । उन द्रोणाचार्य और पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनके पराक्रमको वे सब सैनिक अत्यन्त आश्चर्यचकित होकर देख रहे थे। महाराज! जैसे मांसके टुकड़ेके लिये आकाशमें दो बाज लड़ रहे हों, उसी प्रकार राज्यके लिये उन दोनों गुरु-शिष्योंमें बड़ा भारी युद्ध हो रहा था

Transliteration

āmiṣārtha mahārāja gagane śyenayor iva | droṇācārya-pāṇḍuputra-arjunayoḥ parākramaṃ te sarve sainikā atyantaṃ āścaryacakitāḥ paśyanti sma | mahārāja yathā māṃsa-khaṇḍārthaṃ gaganamadhye dvau śyenau yudhyeyātām tathā rājyārthaṃ tayoḥ guru-śiṣyayor mahān saṃgrāmo 'bhavat |

Translation

आमिषार्थं महाराज गगने श्येनयोरिव । द्रोणाचार्यस्य पार्थस्य च विक्रमं तेऽतिविस्मिताः पश्यन्ति स्म समन्ततः ॥

Word by Word

• आमिषार्थम्: for the sake of flesh/meat
• आमिषार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमिषार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गगने: in the sky
• गगने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• श्येनयोः: of two hawks
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• इव: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Mahārāja)
• Droṇācārya (Droṇa)
• Arjuna
• Pāṇḍu
• soldiers/warriors (sainikāḥ)
• hawks (śyenau)
• sky (gagana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tragedy of war: even a sacred bond like guru and śiṣya can be forced into violent opposition when political ambition and competing duties dominate. It invites reflection on how desire for power (rājya-artha) can turn excellence and loyalty into instruments of destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the assembled warriors are astonished as Droṇa and Arjuna display extraordinary prowess against each other. Their duel is compared to two hawks fighting in the sky over a piece of flesh, emphasizing the ferocity and the high stakes of sovereignty.