Shloka 21
अवन्तीके राजकुमार विन्द और अनुविन्दने अपनी सेनाओंको साथ लेकर विशाल वाहिनीसहित मत्स्यराज विराटपर उसी प्रकार धावा किया, जैसे पूर्वकालमें अग्नि और इन्द्रने राजा बलिपर आक्रमण किया था ।। तदुत्पिज्जलकं युद्धमासीद् देवासुरोपमम् । मत्स्यानां केकयै: सार्धमभीताश्वरथद्विपम्,उस समय मत्स्यदेशीय सैनिकोंका केकयदेशीय योद्धाओंके साथ देवासुर-संग्रामके समान अत्यन्त घमासान युद्ध हुआ। उसमें हाथी, घोड़े और रथ सभी निर्भय होकर एक- दूसरेसे लड़ रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca |
avantīke rājaputrau vindaś cānuvindaś ca svasenābhiḥ saha viśālāṃ vāhinīṃ samādāya matsyarājaṃ virāṭam abhidadhatuḥ, yathā pūrvam agnir indraś ca rājānaṃ balim abhijaghnatuḥ ||
tad utpijjalakaṃ yuddham āsīd devāsura-upamam |
matsyānāṃ kekayaiḥ sārdham abhīta-aśva-ratha-dvipam ||
Sañjaya said: The Avanti princes Vinda and Anuvinda, gathering their own forces and a vast host besides, charged at Virāṭa, king of the Matsyas—like Agni and Indra of old assailing King Bali. Then a fierce battle erupted, comparable to the wars of gods and demons: the Matsya warriors and the Kekayas fought in a terrifying mêlée, where horses, chariots, and elephants met one another without fear.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of fearless engagement in battle and uses a divine-asuric comparison to stress the scale and intensity of conflict; ethically, it frames war as a realm where courage and duty are publicly tested, even as violence escalates beyond ordinary measure.
Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, allied with the Kekayas, lead a large force in a direct assault on King Virāṭa of Matsya. The clash becomes a chaotic, high-intensity engagement involving elephants, horses, and chariots, likened to the legendary battles between gods and demons.