Shloka 42

Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

तर्जयन्ति च संद्ृष्टास्तत्र तत्र परस्परम्‌ | आदश्य दशनैश्लवापि क्रोधात्‌ सरदनच्छदम्‌

Transliteration

tarjayanti ca saṃdṛṣṭās tatra tatra parasparam | ādaśya daśanaiḥ ślāvāpi krodhāt saradanacchadam ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—جہاں جہاں وہ ایک دوسرے کو دیکھتے، وہاں وہاں بار بار للکارتے اور دھمکاتے۔ غصّے سے چہرے سخت ہو جاتے، اور وہ دانت نکال کر دانت بھینچ لیتے تھے۔

Word by Word

तर्जयन्तिthey threaten/taunt

चand

संदृष्टाःhaving seen (each other); on seeing

तत्रthere

तत्रhere and there

परस्परम्one another

आदश्यhaving seen

दशनैःwith (their) teeth

लवापिeven slightly/at all (even a bit)

क्रोधात्from anger; out of wrath

सरदनच्छदम्the covering of the teeth (i.e., the lips/mouth-covering)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

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 how anger (krodha) quickly manifests outwardly—through threats and aggressive gestures—showing the ethical danger of wrath in war: it dehumanizes opponents and clouds discernment, making restraint and self-control crucial even amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the combatants on the battlefield: whenever they come face to face, they exchange threats and display fierce anger, even baring their teeth—an image of escalating hostility as the fighting intensifies.