Shloka 57

Kubera’s Arrival and the Disclosure of Agastya’s Curse

Vaiśaṃpāyana–Janamejaya Narrative

Devanagari script

तयोरासीत्‌ सम्प्रहार: क्रुद्धयोर्भीमरक्षसो: । अमृष्यमाणयो: सड्ख्ये देवदानवयोरिव,भीमसेन तथा राक्षस दोनोंमें देवताओं और दानवोंके समान युद्ध होने लगा। दोनों ही रोष और अमर्षमें भरकर एक-दूसरेपर प्रहार करने लगे

Transliteration

tayor āsīt samprahāraḥ kruddhayor bhīmarakṣasoḥ | amṛṣyamāṇayoḥ saṅkhye devadānavayor iva ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Da erhob sich ein wilder Zusammenstoß zwischen dem zornentbrannten Bhīma und dem Rākṣasa. Unfähig, einander zu ertragen, schlugen sie im Kampf aufeinander ein wie die Götter und die Dānavas — jeder getrieben von Zorn und verletztem Stolz, jeder entschlossen, den anderen zu bezwingen.

Word by Word

तयोःof the two (of them)

आसीत्was / occurred

सम्प्रहारःclash / combat

क्रुद्धयोःof the two enraged (ones)

भीमof Bhima

रक्षसोःof the two—(Bhima and) the rakshasa

अमृष्यमाणयोःof the two who could not endure (each other)

सङ्ख्येin battle

देवof the gods

दानवयोःof the two danavas (as in: of gods and danavas)

इवlike / as if

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Rākṣasa

Devas

Dānavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger and intolerance (amṛṣyā) intensify conflict: when pride and wrath dominate, combat becomes relentless and destructive, resembling cosmic battles. Ethically, it cautions that unchecked krodha turns a contest into a consuming struggle.

What is happening in the narrative?

A direct, close-quarters fight breaks out between Bhīma and a rākṣasa. Both are furious and unable to bear the other’s challenge, so they exchange blows in a battle compared to the legendary wars between devas and dānavas.