तौ प्रयुद्धौ रणे दृष्ट्वा वने वन्यौ गजाव् इव ॥
उभयोः सेनयोर् हर्षस् तुमुलः समपद्यत ॥
सिंहनादरवाश् चासन् दध्मुः शङ्खांश् च मारिष ॥
वादित्राण्य् अभ्यवाद्यन्त शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः ॥
तस्मिंस् तु तुमुले युद्धे भीरूणां भयवर्धने ॥
मुहूर्तम् इव तद् युद्धं समरूपं तदाभवत् ॥
ततो द्रौणिर् महाराज पार्षतस्य महात्मनः ॥
ध्वजं धनुस् तथा छत्रम् उभौ च पार्ष्णिसारथी ॥
सूतम् अश्वांश् च चतुरो निहत्याभ्यद्रवद् रणे ॥
tau prayuddhau raṇe dṛṣṭvā vane vanyau gajāv iva ||
ubhayoḥ senayor harṣas tumulaḥ samapadyata ||
siṃhanādaravāś cāsan dadhmuḥ śaṅkhāṃś ca māriṣa ||
vāditrāṇy abhyavādyanta śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
tasmiṃs tu tumule yuddhe bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhane ||
muhūrtam iva tad yuddhaṃ samarūpaṃ tadābhavat ||
tato drauṇir mahārāja pārṣatasya mahātmanaḥ ||
dhvajaṃ dhanus tathā chatram ubhau ca pārṣṇisārathī ||
sūtam aśvāṃś ca caturo nihatyābhyadravad raṇe ||
Having seen those two fighting in battle like two wild elephants in a forest, a tumultuous joy arose among both armies. There were lion-roars, and they blew on conches, O honored one; instruments sounded by the hundreds and thousands. But in that tumultuous battle, which increased the fear of the fainthearted, the fight was equal only for a brief moment. Then Drauni, O great king, cut down the banner, the bow, and also the parasol of Parshata, great of soul, along with both of his flank-guard charioteers.
2bd86079458a · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
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The fight remains equal for a long time — both like forest elephants; but then Ashvatthama gains the upper hand, cutting through all of Dhrishtadyumna's equipage. It is telling that both armies rejoice at the spectacle: valor delights everyone. The verse teaches that equality lasts only a moment, and then mastery decides; and one who prevails today does not know that the one he now overcomes will become the one from whose hand, or hour, his own end will come.