Shloka 19
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
तावेकस्थौ रणे वीरावावन्त्यौ रथिनां वरौ । शरान् मुमुचतुस्तूर्णमिरावति महात्मनि
tāv ekasthau raṇe vīrāv āvantyau rathināṃ varau | śarān mumucatus tūrṇam irāvati mahātmani ||
Sañjaya sprach: Jene beiden Helden aus Avanti—die Vornehmsten unter den Wagenkämpfern—standen vereint im Gefecht und begannen mit großer Schnelligkeit, den hochgesinnten Irāvān mit Pfeilsalven zu überschütten.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya world of Kurukṣetra: coordinated martial action and unwavering engagement in battle. Ethically, it reflects how war compresses moral space—valor and duty are foregrounded even when the opponent is described as mahātman (noble), reminding readers that nobility does not exempt one from the harsh mechanics of conflict.
Sanjaya reports that two renowned chariot-warriors from Avanti, acting together, rapidly shoot volleys of arrows at Irāvān on the battlefield, intensifying the combat around him.