Shloka 21
वे दोनों पुरुषसिंह रथपर विराजमान और रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ थे। दोनोंने विशाल धनुष धारण किये थे। दोनों ही बाण
sañjaya uvāca | tau dvau puruṣasiṃhau rathopasthitau rathināṃ variṣṭhau | ubhau vipuladhanurdharau | ubhau bāṇaśaktyā dhvajena ca sampannau | ubhau kavacadharau kaṭyāṃ ca asiṃ baddhvā | ubhayor aśvāḥ śvetavarṇāḥ | ubhau śaṅkhaśobhitau uttamatuṇīrasampannau darśanīyau ca | ubhayor aṅgeṣu raktacandanānulepaḥ | ubhau vṛṣabhāv iva madamattau | ubhayor dhanūṃṣi dhvajāś ca vidyutprakhyāḥ kāntimantaḥ | ubhau śastrasaṃghaiḥ yuddhe kuśalau | ubhau cāmaravyajanopetau śvetacchatravirājitau | ekasya sārathiḥ śrīkṛṣṇaḥ anyasya śalyaḥ | tayor ubhayor mahārathayor rūpam ekam iva | skandhau siṃhasamānau bāhū mahāntau netre raktāni | ubhau suvarṇamālādhāriṇau | ubhau siṃhonnataskandhaiḥ prakāśitau | ubhayor vakṣaḥ pṛthu ubhau mahābalau | ubhau parasparavadham icchantau parasparajayābhilāṣiṇau | gośālāyāṃ yuddhyamānau dvau vṛṣabhāv iva parasparaṃ abhyadhāvataḥ | madamattadvipāv iva roṣāveśabharitau | parvatāv iva acalāv | viṣadharasarpaśiśuvaj jātau | yamakālāntakasamā bhīṣaṇau | indravṛtrāsurāv iva anyonyaṃ kupitau | sūryacandramasāv iva prabhāṃ vikiran tau | krodhabharitau dvau mahāgrahāv iva pralayaṃ kartum utthitau | ubhau devabālakau devavat balinau devatulyarūpavantau | daivecchayā bhūtale avatīrṇau sūryacandramasāv iva śobhāṃ prāptau | ubhau samare balinau abhimāninau | yuddhāya nānāvidhāstrāṇi śastrāṇi ca dhṛtvā | prajānātha! sammukhībhūtau dvau siṃhāv iva tau naravyāghrau vīrau dṛṣṭvā tava sainikānāṃ mahān harṣaḥ abhavat |
三阇耶说道：那两位狮子般的英雄端坐战车之上，光彩照人，为车战武士之冠。二人各执巨弓；各备箭矢、投枪与战旗。身披甲胄，腰悬宝剑，战车由白马牵引，仪容俊伟——以海螺为饰，佩上等箭囊。肢体涂以赤檀香膏；如醉傲之雄牛，气势奔涌。其弓与旌旗闪耀如电；善用百般兵器交战；又有拂尘、羽扇随侍，并以白伞增其威仪。一方以圣克里希那为御者，另一方以沙利耶为御者；两位大车战士形貌宛若相同——狮肩长臂，赤目炯然，佩金色花鬘，胸阔力雄。各自求取对方之死，渴望压倒敌手而得胜。似牛栏中两雄牛相冲，似发情狂象怒火充塞，二人互相猛扑——稳如山岳，凶如阎摩、迦罗与安达迦；怒若因陀罗与弗栗陀罗阿修罗；辉耀如日月；仿佛两颗巨行星因怒而起，欲招致毁灭。二人皆为天神所生，力与貌皆如天神，恰似日月奉天意降临人间。于是，噢人主，当你的军士见那两位虎般勇士如两狮对峙时，全军顿生极大的振奋。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic’s martial ethic: greatness in war is portrayed through discipline, splendour, and fearsome resolve, yet it is framed by inevitability—heroes appear as instruments of a larger, ‘divine will’ (daivecchā). The imagery also warns that pride and wrath can become world-destroying forces when two equals seek mutual annihilation.
Sañjaya describes two supreme chariot-warriors facing each other in the battlefield, matched in appearance and power. One is driven by Kṛṣṇa and the other by Śalya, and the army rejoices at the sight of this climactic confrontation as the two charge like rival bulls or lions.