Shloka 16
काकोपमोपदेशः
The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa
सिंहाविव सुसंरब्धौ परस्परजिगीषया । जघध्नतुस्तौ रणे<न्योन्यं नर्दमानौ वृषाविव
sañjaya uvāca | siṃhāv iva susaṃrabdhau parasparajigīṣayā | jaghnatuḥ tau raṇe 'nyonyaṃ nardamānau vṛṣāv iva |
सञ्जय उवाच—सिंहाविव सुसंरब्धौ परस्परजिगीषया । जघ्नतुस्तौ रणेऽन्योन्यं नर्दमानौ वृषाविव ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the craving for victory (jigīṣā) coupled with anger (saṃrambha) intensifies conflict: when triumph becomes paramount, combatants may abandon moderation, and the battlefield amplifies raw rivalry rather than reflective dharma.
Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors locked in close combat, repeatedly striking one another in the midst of battle, roaring like lions and bellowing like bulls—an image of evenly matched, furious confrontation.