Mahabharata 9.22.306 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 22, Shloka 306

अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन

Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault

Devanagari script

योधयन्तावपश्येतां कृतप्रतिकृतैषिणौ । वे दोनों वीर महारथी उत्तम कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए थे! अतः समरांगणमें एक-दूसरेके प्रहारका प्रतीकार करनेकी इच्छा रखकर जूझते दिखायी देते थे

Transliteration

yodhayantāv apaśyetāṃ kṛta-pratikṛtaiṣiṇau |

Translation

ขณะต่อสู้กัน นักรบมหารถีทั้งสองปรากฏดุจผู้มุ่งหมายจะตอบโต้ให้สาสม—รับคมศัสตราด้วยคมศัสตรา. ด้วยกำเนิดจากตระกูลสูงศักดิ์ ทั้งคู่จึงรบในสมรภูมิด้วยปณิธานจะชดเชยการโจมตีของกันและกันด้วยการตอบกลับอันเหมาะควร

Word by Word

• योधयन्तौ: two (men) fighting / causing to fight
• योधयन्तौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: योधयत् (युध् धातु, णिच्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अपश्येताम्: they two saw / were seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (दृश्) धातु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

• कृत: in (the state of) done / made
• कृत: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्रतिकृत: in retaliation / counter-action
• प्रतिकृत: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिकृत (प्रति + कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• एषिणौ: two desirous (seekers)
• एषिणौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of immediate reciprocity—answering an inflicted act with a counter-act. It points to how, within kṣatriya warfare, honor and duty can narrow into a code of requital, raising ethical tension between righteous restraint and retaliatory impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors locked in combat, visibly striving to counter each other’s attacks. Their demeanor is characterized by a mutual intent to repay strikes with matching counterstrikes as the duel unfolds.