Shloka 14
शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12
महानागौ श्ज्ञैरिव महर्षभौ । तोत्रैरिव तदान्योन्यं गदाग्राभ्यां निजघ्नतु:
mahānāgau śṛṅgair iva maharṣabhau | totrair iva tadānyonyaṁ gadāgrābhyāṁ nijaghnatuḥ |
三阇耶说道：如两头巨象以象牙相击，又如两头雄牛以角相撞，那两位最卓绝的勇士便以槌端互相猛击，仿佛其槌皆为驱象之钩。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ferocity and inevitability of martial confrontation once dharma has collapsed into war: prowess and courage can be admirable, yet the imagery of beasts driven by goads hints at how combat reduces humans to compelled violence, reminding the listener of war’s ethical burden.
Sañjaya describes two leading warriors locked in close combat, repeatedly striking each other with the heads of their maces. Their exchange of blows is compared to elephants goring with tusks and bulls clashing with horns, emphasizing the intensity of the duel.