Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तयोस्तदभवद्‌ युद्ध तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम्‌ । भीष्मस्य सह पार्थेन बलिवासवयोरिव,उन दोनोंका वह तुमुल युद्ध रोंगटे खड़े कर देनेवाला था। पार्थके साथ भीष्मका वह संग्राम बलि और इन्द्रके युद्धके समान था

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

tayor tad abhavad yuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam |

bhīṣmasya saha pārthena balivāsavayor iva ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then between those two there arose a tumultuous battle that made the hair stand on end. Bhīṣma’s combat with Pārtha was like the legendary clash between Bali and Vāsava (Indra).

Word by Word

तयोःof those two

तत्that (battle)

अभवत्was/became

युद्धम्battle

तुमुलम्tumultuous, fierce

लोमहर्षणम्hair-raising, thrilling

भीष्मस्यof Bhīṣma

सहtogether with

पार्थेनwith Pārtha (Arjuna)

बलिof Bali

वासवयोःof Vāsava (Indra) and (the other in the pair)

इवlike, as

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Bali

Vāsava (Indra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic ideal of kṣatriya-dharma: when duty calls, great warriors engage with full prowess. The comparison to Bali and Indra frames the fight as a world-shaking contest of equals, emphasizing disciplined valor rather than petty hatred.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes an intense, awe-inspiring battle between two principal warriors—Bhīṣma and Pārtha (Arjuna). The narrator heightens the scene by likening their clash to the famed battle of Bali and Indra (Vāsava).