Shloka 4.22.29

वालिविलापः — Vali’s Final Counsel and the Succession Charge

Devanagari script

येन दत्तं महद्युद्धं गन्धर्वस्य महात्मनः4.22.28।।गोलभस्य महाबाहोर्दशवर्षाणि पञ्च च।नैव रात्रौ न दिवसे तद्युद्धमुपशाम्यति4.22.29।।

Transliteration

yena dattaṃ mahad yuddhaṃ gandharvasya mahātmanaḥ (4.22.28) | golabhasya mahābāhor daśa-varṣāṇi pañca ca | naiva rātrau na divase tad yuddham upaśāmyati (4.22.29) ||

Translation

He who fought that great war with the noble Gandharva Golabha for fifteen years, with no pause by night or day—how can such a one be fallen now?

Context

'Great soul, Vali endowed with stout shoulders joined a duel with a gandharva called Golabha for fifteen years nonstop night and day.

Characters & Entities

• Vāli
• Gandharva
• Golabha

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Textually, it reinforces the same reflection as the prior verse: human fame and martial greatness are unstable; Dharma and Satya are the enduring measures, not mere might.

What is the narrative situation?

A repeated/continued recitation of the Golabha duel tradition within the lamentation sequence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Śaurya (valor) is reiterated, while the repetition itself heightens the emotional intensity of grief.