Shloka 23
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
तौ स जित्वा महाराज नागराजसुतासुत: । पौरुष॑ ख्यापयंस्तूर्ण व्यधमत् तव वाहिनीम्
tau sa jitvā mahārāja nāgarājasutāsutaḥ | pauruṣaṁ khyāpayaṁs tūrṇaṁ vyadhamat tava vāhinīm, mahārāja |
Sañjaya sprach: O König, nachdem Irāvān—geboren von Ulūpī, der Nāga-Prinzessin—jene beiden besiegt hatte, zeigte er sogleich seine Tapferkeit und begann unverzüglich, dein Heer zu zerschmettern.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of pauruṣa (valor) expressed through decisive action in battle, while also reminding that lineage and duty can manifest unexpectedly—one warrior’s courage can disrupt even a powerful army.
Irāvān, the son of Ulūpī (a Nāga princess), defeats the two warriors Vinda and Anuvinda and then rapidly begins to rout and destroy the Kaurava forces, as reported by Sañjaya to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.