जीमूताव् इव चान्योन्यं तौ ववर्षतुर् आहवे ॥
तलशब्दरवैश् चैव त्रासयन्तौ परस्परम् ॥
शरजालैश् च विविधैश् छादयाम् आसतुर् मृधे ॥
अन्योन्यं समरे क्रुद्धौ कृतप्रतिकृतैषिणौ ॥
ततो भीमो महाबाहू राधेयस्य महात्मनः ॥
क्षुरप्रेण धनुश् छित्त्वा कर्णं विव्याध पत्रिणा ॥
तद् अपास्य धनुश् छिन्नं सूतपुत्रो महामनाः ॥
अन्यत् कार्मुकम् आदत्त वेगघ्नं भारसाधनम् ॥
jīmūtāv iva cānyonyaṃ tau vavarṣatur āhave ||
talaśabdaravaiś caiva trāsayantau parasparam ||
śarajālaiś ca vividhaiś chādayām āsatur mṛdhe ||
anyonyaṃ samare kruddhau kṛtapratikṛtaiṣiṇau ||
tato bhīmo mahābāhū rādheyasya mahātmanaḥ ||
kṣurapreṇa dhanuś chittvā karṇaṃ vivyādha patriṇā ||
tad apāsya dhanuś chinnaṃ sūtaputro mahāmanāḥ ||
anyat kārmukam ādatta vegaghnaṃ bhārasādhanam ||
And, like two clouds, the two showered each other [in] battle, and with claps of the palms frightening each other. And with various nets [of] arrows they covered [each other in] the fray, each other [in] battle, enraged, seeking requital-for-deeds-done. Then mighty-armed Bhima, having cut the bow of Radheya, great of soul, with a kshurapra-arrow, pierced Karna with a feathered [arrow]. Casting aside that severed bow, the son of the suta, magnanimous, took another bow — quenching [the enemy's] onslaught, enduring.
98a7a8c03068 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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'Seeking requital for deeds done' — both fight not for gain but to settle old scores: their enmity is driven by a ledger of the past. It is telling that a severed bow is at once replaced by another: neither considers yielding. The verse teaches that mutual vengeance has no bottom — each requital demands a further one, and the fight goes on as long as there is something to strike with; thus a feud fed by remembered grievance devours itself.