Shloka 31
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
रामरावणयोश्रैव वालिसुग्रीवयोस्तथा । तथैव कालस्य समीौ मृत्योश्रैव परंतपौ,महाराज! शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले वे दोनों महाबली वीर यमराज, इन्द्र, वरुण, श्रीकृष्ण, बलराम, कुबेर, मधु, कैटभ, सुन्द, उपसुन्द, राम, रावण तथा बालि और सुमग्रीवके समान पराक्रम दिखानेवाले थे तथा काल एवं मृत्युके समान जान पड़ते थे
sañjaya uvāca |
rāma-rāvaṇayoś caiva vāli-sugrīvayos tathā |
tathaiva kālasya samau mṛtyoś caiva parantapau ||
Sanjaya said: O King, those two heroes, tormentors of their foes, seemed equal to Rama and Ravana, and likewise to Vali and Sugriva; and in the same way they appeared like Time itself and like Death—figures of irresistible might.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic idea that in the extremity of battle, great warriors can appear like cosmic principles—Time and Death—suggesting the inevitability of destruction and the moral gravity of warfare, where human agency operates under the shadow of fate.
Sanjaya is describing two formidable combatants to the King, emphasizing their overwhelming prowess by comparing them to famous rival pairs (Rama–Ravana, Vali–Sugriva) and to the unstoppable forces of Time and Death.