व्यूढोरस्कौ दीर्घभुजौ नियुद्धकुशलाव् उभौ ॥
बाहुभिः समसज्जेताम् आयसैः परिघैर् इव ॥
तयोर् आसन् भुजाघाता निग्रहप्रग्रहौ तथा ॥
शिक्षाबलसमुद्भूताः सर्वयोधप्रहर्षणाः ॥
तयोर् नृवरयो राजन् समरे युध्यमानयोः ॥
भीमो ऽभवन् महाशब्दो वज्रपर्वतयोर् इव ॥
द्विपाव् इव विषाणाग्रैः शृङ्गैर् इव महर्षभौ ॥
युयुधाते महात्मानौ कुरुसात्वतपुंगवौ ॥
vyūḍhoraskau dīrghabhujau niyuddhakuśalāv ubhau ||
bāhubhiḥ samasajjetām āyasaiḥ parighair iva ||
tayor āsan bhujāghātā nigrahapragrahau tathā ||
śikṣābalasamudbhūtāḥ sarvayodhapraharṣaṇāḥ ||
tayor nṛvarayo rājan samare yudhyamānayoḥ ||
bhīmo 'bhavan mahāśabdo vajraparvatayor iva ||
dvipāv iva viṣāṇāgraiḥ śṛṅgair iva maharṣabhau ||
yuyudhāte mahātmānau kurusātvatapuṃgavau ||
Broad-chested, long-armed, both skilled in hand-to-hand combat, they gripped each other with their arms as though with iron bars. Between the two of them there were blows of the arms, grips and throws, born of training and strength, delighting all the warriors. Between those two best of men, O king, fighting in the battle, there arose a terrible, mighty sound, as though of thunderbolt striking mountain. Like two elephants with the tips of their tusks, like great bulls with their horns, the great-souled bulls of Kuru and of the Satvatas fought.
6a3692045741 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Their blows, born of "training and strength," delight all the warriors: skill is worthy of admiration even in a mortal struggle. It is telling that the fight has been stripped down to bare hands, yet has lost none of its artistry -- training shows through even in hand-to-hand combat. The verse teaches that true mastery lies not in weapons alone but in the discipline of body and spirit; and a duel reduced to its final simplicity -- hand against hand -- reveals a valor purer than any clothed in arms and armor.