Shloka 4.16.28
वालिवधः — The Slaying of Vali
वृक्षैः स्सशाखै स्सशिखैर्वज्रकोटिनिभैर्नखैः4.16.28।।मुष्टिभिर्जानुभिः पद्भिर्बाहुभिश्च पुनः पुनः।तयोर्युद्धमभूद्घोरं वृत्रवासवयोरिव4.16.29।।
vṛkṣaiḥ saśākhaiḥ saśikhair vajrakoṭinibhair nakhaiḥ || 4.16.28 ||
muṣṭibhir jānubhiḥ padbhir bāhubhiś ca punaḥ punaḥ |
tayor yuddham abhūd ghoraṃ vṛtravāsavayor iva || 4.16.29 ||
Again and again they struck each other—wielding trees with branches and tops, with nails hard as thunderbolt-points, and with fists, knees, feet, and arms. Their battle grew dreadful, like that of Vṛtra and Vāsava (Indra).
Both like Vritra and Indra fought, hitting each other again and again with trees full of branches and tops, with their hard nails akin to thunderbolts and with their fists, knees, feet, etc.
The verse frames the duel within the epic’s moral universe: violence is shown as grave and consequential, and therefore must be governed by rightful purpose and restraint—otherwise it becomes ‘ghora’ (terrifying) and destructive.
The fight escalates into close-quarters brutality; both use natural weapons (trees) and bodily strikes repeatedly.
Indomitable fighting spirit; also the epic’s emphasis that such power must be directed by dharma.