Shloka 20
Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda
ज्वलितैर्निशितै: प्रासशक््त्यूष्टिसपरश्वधै: । शैक्यायसमयैस्ती क्ष्णरभिघातो भवेद् वसु
jvalitair niśitaiḥ prāsaśaktyūṣṭisaparaśvadhaiḥ | śaikyāyasamayais tīkṣṇair abhighāto bhaved vasu ||
Ambarīṣa nói: “Với những vũ khí rực cháy, sắc bén như dao cạo—giáo, lao, chùy, và rìu chiến—được rèn bằng đá và sắt, sẽ dấy lên một đợt xung kích dữ dội và chém xé, hỡi Vasu.”
अम्बरीष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reality of armed conflict: when rulers choose the path of force, the result is a relentless, piercing assault with deadly weapons. Implicitly, it cautions that decisions in governance and dharma can unleash severe violence and suffering.
Ambarīṣa is describing to Vasu the nature of a battle-onset: an intense attack carried out with blazing, sharpened weapons—spears, javelins, clubs, and axes—made of stone and iron, emphasizing the ferocity of the impending or imagined combat.