Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तौ वृषाविव नर्दन्तौ मण्डलानि विचेरतु: । आवर्तितौ गदाहस्तौ मद्रराजवृकोदरौ,शल्य और भीमसेन दोनों वीर हाथमें गदा लिये साँड़ोंकी तरह गर्जते हुए चक्कर लगाने और पैंतरे देने लगे

Transliteration

tau vṛṣāv iva nardantau maṇḍalāni viceratuḥ | āvartitau gadāhastau madrarājavṛkodarau |

Translation

మద్రరాజు శల్యుడు మరియు వృకోదరుడు (భీమసేనుడు)—ఇద్దరూ చేతిలో గదాలు పట్టుకొని, రెండు ఎద్దుల్లా గర్జిస్తూ, మితమైన వలయాల్లో తిరుగుతూ, తిప్పులు-మోసాలు చూపుతూ పైచేయి కోసం ప్రయత్నించారు।

Word by Word

तौthose two

वृषौtwo bulls

इवlike/as

नर्दन्तौroaring

मण्डलानिcircles/rounds

विचेरतुःthey moved about/went around

आवर्तितौwhirling/turned about

गदाहस्तौhaving maces in hand

मद्रराजवृकोदरौthe king of Madra (Shalya) and Vrikodara (Bhima)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Shalya (Madra-rāja)

Bhīmasena (Vṛkodara)

gadā (mace)

Madra

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 kṣatriya discipline in combat: even in lethal conflict, warriors follow a recognizable code—circling, measuring distance, and seeking a fair opening—showing that power is ideally governed by form, restraint, and tactical judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Shalya (king of Madra) and Bhīmasena, each holding a mace, roar like bulls and begin circling one another, turning and feinting as they prepare to strike in a focused one-on-one duel.