Shloka 70

कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा

Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying

Devanagari script

ते सेने भृशसंसक्ते दृष्टवान्योन्यं महाहवे

Transliteration

te sene bhṛśa-saṁsakte dṛṣṭavān anyonyaṁ mahāhave

Translation

சஞ்சயன் கூறினான்—அந்த மாபெரும் போரில் இரு படைகளும் கடுமையாக ஒன்றோடொன்று சிக்கிக்கொண்டபோது, அவர்கள் ஒருவரையொருவர் நேருக்கு நேர் கண்டனர்; இரு தரப்பும் முழுமையாக மோதலில் ஈடுபட்டதால், தயங்க இடமே இல்லை।

Word by Word

तेthey (those warriors)

सेनेin the two armies

भृशसंसक्तेclosely/violently engaged (locked in combat)

दृष्टवान्saw

अन्योन्यम्each other / one another

महाहवेin the great battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

the two armies (Pāṇḍava and Kaurava forces)

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 underscores the inevitability and intensity of armed conflict once forces are fully committed: when engagement becomes ‘bhṛśa-saṁsakta’ (tightly entangled), choices narrow and consequences unfold through action, highlighting the ethical weight of entering war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield moment when the opposing armies are already deeply engaged; in the midst of the ‘mahāhava’ they confront each other directly, signaling a decisive phase of combat.