Mahabharata · 7.24.36–37
॥
Devanāgarī
अङ्गदो ऽभिमुखः शूरम् उत्तमौजसम् आहवे ॥
द्रोणायाभिमुखं यान्तं वत्सदन्तैर् अवारयत् ॥
स संप्रहारस् तुमुलस् तयोः पुरुषसिंहयोः ॥
सैनिकानां च सर्वेषां तयोश् च प्रीतिवर्धनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
aṅgado 'bhimukhaḥ śūram uttamaujasam āhave ||
droṇāyābhimukhaṃ yāntaṃ vatsadantair avārayat ||
sa saṃprahāras tumulas tayoḥ puruṣasiṃhayoḥ ||
sainikānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ tayoś ca prītivardhanaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अङ्गदःaṅgadaḥAngada; Angada
अभिमुखःabhimukhaḥface to face [confronting]; face to face
शूरम्śūramthe hero [the brave one]; the warrior
उत्तमौजसम्uttamaujasamUttamaujas; Uttamaujas
आहवेāhavein the battle; in the fight
द्रोणाय अभिमुखम्droṇāya abhimukhamstraight at Drona [facing Drona]; straight at Drona
यान्तम्yāntamadvancing [riding up]; riding up
वत्सदन्तैःvatsadantaiḥ[with arrows] tipped like a calf's tooth; with 'calf's-tooth' arrows
अवारयत्avārayatshielded [repelled]; held back
सः संप्रहारःsaḥ saṃprahāraḥthat clash [encounter]; [that] clash
तुमुलःtumulaḥtumultuous [furious]; furious
तयोःtayoḥ[of] those two; [of] those two
पुरुषसिंहयोःpuruṣasiṃhayoḥlion-like men; lion-like men
सैनिकानाम्sainikānām[for] the warriors [troops]; [for] the troops
चcaand; —
सर्वेषाम्sarveṣāmall; all
तयोःtayoḥ[for] themselves; [for] themselves
चcaand; —
प्रीतिवर्धनःprītivardhanaḥjoy-increasing [delightful]; [was] a delight
Translation
Angada, face to face, held back with 'calf's-tooth' arrows the warrior Uttamaujas, who rode up in the fight straight at Drona. That furious clash of those two lion-like men was a delight to all the troops and to themselves alike.
Version
e2713b7e94b5 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The clash of Angada and Uttamaujas is called 'a delight' — for the onlookers and for the fighters themselves. In an honest duel of equals there is a peculiar joy known to warriors: the joy of testing oneself against a worthy opponent, without malice, in pure contest of valor. It is telling that 'they themselves' rejoice: for them battle is not duty alone, but exultation in mastery. The verse teaches that in a contest of equals, waged with honor, there is a kind of noble play, delightful to both sides; that martial valor finds its pleasure in a worthy rival rather than in easy prey; and that this joy of honest contest is the bright side of the warrior spirit, distinct from cruelty, even though it unfolds amid deadly war.