Shloka 306

अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन

Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault

Devanagari script

योधयन्तावपश्येतां कृतप्रतिकृतैषिणौ । वे दोनों वीर महारथी उत्तम कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए थे! अतः समरांगणमें एक-दूसरेके प्रहारका प्रतीकार करनेकी इच्छा रखकर जूझते दिखायी देते थे

Transliteration

yodhayantāv apaśyetāṃ kṛta-pratikṛtaiṣiṇau |

Translation

三阇耶说道：当他们交战之时，人们看见他们宛如两位武士，一心要以击还击、以报还报——各自都在寻求对既成之事作出相称的回应。他们出身高贵门第，受训为伟大的战车勇士，于战场上奋力拼杀，立誓以对方之击为己之答，以此体现战斗中严酷的互报之律：当荣誉与复仇成为眼前的准则，刀兵便不容退让。

Word by Word

• योधयन्तौ: two (men) fighting / causing to fight
• योधयन्तौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: योधयत् (युध् धातु, णिच्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अपश्येताम्: they two saw / were seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (दृश्) धातु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

• कृत: in (the state of) done / made
• कृत: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्रतिकृत: in retaliation / counter-action
• प्रतिकृत: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिकृत (प्रति + कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• एषिणौ: two desirous (seekers)
• एषिणौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of immediate reciprocity—answering an inflicted act with a counter-act. It points to how, within kṣatriya warfare, honor and duty can narrow into a code of requital, raising ethical tension between righteous restraint and retaliatory impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing warriors locked in combat, visibly striving to counter each other’s attacks. Their demeanor is characterized by a mutual intent to repay strikes with matching counterstrikes as the duel unfolds.