Shloka 80
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ततस्ते पाण्डवा राजन् कौरवाश्न महारथा: । ततक्षु: सायकैस्ती&णैर्निघ्नन्तो हि परस्परम्
tataste pāṇḍavā rājan kauravāś ca mahārathāḥ | tatakṣuḥ sāyakais tīkṣṇair nighnanto hi parasparam ||
Wika ni Sañjaya: “Pagkaraan nito, O Hari, ang mga Pāṇḍava at ang mga Kaurava—kapwa mga dakilang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwaheng pandigma—ay nagsalpukan, nagpalitan ng mga matutulis na palaso, at bawat panig ay nag-aasam na pabagsakin ang kabila sa gitna ng sagupaan.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tragic reciprocity of war: once conflict is fully engaged, each side answers violence with violence, and even heroic duty (kṣatriya-dharma) can become a mechanism of mutual destruction. It invites reflection on how retaliation sustains suffering and how dharma in battle is morally weighty rather than celebratory.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍava and Kaurava champions, all great chariot-fighters, are locked in close combat, cutting each other down with sharp arrows as the battle intensifies.