Shloka 7
उभौ महेन्द्रस्य समानविक्रमा- वुभौ महेन्द्रप्रतिमौ महारथौ । महेन्द्रवज्प्रतिमै श्व॒ सायकै- महेन्द्रवृत्राविव सम्प्रजघ्नतु:,वे दोनों वीर इन्द्रके समान पराक्रमी और उन्हींके सदृश महारथी थे। इन्द्रके वज्रतुल्य बाणोंसे इन्द्र और वृत्रासुरके समान वे एक-दूसरेको चोट पहुँचाने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
ubhau mahendrasya samāna-vikramāv ubhau mahendra-pratimau mahā-rathau |
mahendra-vajra-pratimaiḥ śaraiḥ sāyakaiḥ mahendra-vṛtrāv iva samprajaghnatuḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Both warriors were equal in prowess to Mahendra (Indra), both great chariot-fighters resembling Indra himself. With arrows like Indra’s thunderbolt, they struck at one another, like Indra and Vṛtra locked in combat—each meeting the other’s might without yielding.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic ideal of martial excellence and steadfastness: when evenly matched heroes clash, the encounter becomes a test of endurance and resolve. Ethically, it frames battle as a domain where courage and skill are displayed, while also hinting at the destructive intensity of war through the Indra–Vṛtra comparison.
Sañjaya describes two equally formidable mahārathas fighting at close intensity. Their arrows are compared to Indra’s thunderbolt, and their mutual striking is likened to the mythic combat between Indra and Vṛtra, emphasizing the ferocity and parity of the duel.