Shloka 30
सावित्री-यमसंवादः
Sāvitrī’s Dialogue with Yama and the Restoration of Satyavān
एवमुक््त्वा बहुविध॑ ततस्तौ संनिपेततु: । समरे वालिसुग्रीवी शालतालशिलायुथौ,इस प्रकार बहुत-सी बातें करके वाली और सुग्रीव दोनों एक-दूसरेसे गुँथ गये। उस युद्धमें साखू और ताड़के वृक्ष तथा पत्थरकी चट्टानें--ये ही उनके अस्त्र-शस्त्र थे
evam uktvā bahuvidhaṁ tatas tau saṁnipetatuḥ | samare vāli-sugrīvī śāla-tāla-śilā-yuthau ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Having spoken thus in many ways, the two then closed upon each other. In that battle, Vāli and Sugrīva fought hand to hand, using as their weapons only clusters of śāla and tāla trees and masses of rock—strength and fury replacing crafted arms, and kinship giving way to the harsh ethics of combat.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked rivalry—even between brothers—can turn natural strength into destructive force. It implicitly warns that power without dharmic restraint degrades into brute violence, where even the environment (trees and rocks) becomes an instrument of harm.
After exchanging many words, Vāli and Sugrīva physically engage in battle. They fight using uprooted śāla and tāla trees and boulders as improvised weapons, emphasizing the ferocity and raw, unarmed nature of their combat.