Shloka 32
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
स सात्यकेस्तु बलिन: कर्णस्य च महात्मन: । आसीत् समागमो राजन् बलिवासवयोरिव,राजन्! उस समय बलवान् सात्यकि और महामनस्वी कर्णका वह संग्राम राजा बलि और इन्द्रके युद्ध-सा प्रतीत होता था
sa sātyakestu balinaḥ karṇasya ca mahātmanaḥ | āsīt samāgamo rājan balivāsavayor iva ||
Sañjaya said: O King, the clash between the mighty Sātyaki and the great-souled Karṇa then appeared like the legendary combat of King Bali and Vāsava (Indra)—a meeting of equals.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how epic poetry frames human warfare within a larger moral and cosmic horizon: when great warriors meet, their contest is portrayed as more than personal rivalry—an emblem of power, duty, and the awe such force inspires, inviting reflection on the weight of kṣatriya action and its consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki and Karṇa have come into direct combat, and he intensifies the scene by comparing their encounter to the famed battle between King Bali and Indra (Vāsava), suggesting an evenly matched and formidable duel.