Shloka 22

Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57

Devanagari script

तौ दर्शयन्तौ समरे युद्धक्रीडां समन्तत: । गदाभ्यां सहसान्योन्यमाजघ्नतुररिंदमौ,समरांगणमें सब ओर युद्धकी क्रीडाका प्रदर्शन करते हुए उन दोनों शत्रुदमन वीरोंने सहसा अपनी गदाओंद्वारा एक-दूसरेपर प्रहार किया

Transliteration

tau darśayantau samare yuddha-krīḍāṃ samantataḥ | gadābhyāṃ sahasā anyonyam ājaghnatur ariṃdamau ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：当他们在战场四方尽显那凶烈的“战争之戏”时，那两位降敌的英雄忽然各执槌棒猛击对方——使厮杀化作一幕森然的景象，武艺与决心在毫不留情中受试炼。

Word by Word

तौthose two

दर्शयन्तौshowing, displaying

समरेin battle

युद्धक्रीडाम्the sport/play of fighting

समन्ततःon all sides, all around

गदाभ्याम्with (their) two maces

सहसाsuddenly, impetuously

अन्योन्यम्each other (mutually)

आजघ्नतुःthey struck, smote

अरिंदमौenemy-subduing (two heroes)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

battlefield (samara/samara-aṅgaṇa implied)

maces (gadā)

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 frames combat as yuddha-krīḍā—‘the sport of war’—highlighting how kṣatriya valor can appear as a display of skill and courage, yet remains ethically weighty because it is enacted through sudden, mutual violence. It invites reflection on the tension between martial duty and the grim reality of harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two renowned enemy-subduing warriors in the midst of battle. As they circle and exhibit their fighting prowess before all, they abruptly close in and strike each other with their maces, escalating the duel into direct, forceful exchanges.