Shloka 8
बाणयुद्धम्, हरिहरसंवादः, ज्वरप्रकरणम्, अनिरुद्धमोचनम्
Bāṇa’s War, the Jvara Episode, Hari–Hara Dialogue, and Aniruddha’s Release
हतेषु तेषु बाणो ऽपि रथस्थस् तद्वधोद्यतः युध्यमानो यथाशक्ति यदा वीर्येण निर्जितः
hateṣu teṣu bāṇo 'pi rathasthas tadvadhodyataḥ yudhyamāno yathāśakti yadā vīryeṇa nirjitaḥ
When those warriors had been slain, Bāṇa too, stationed upon his chariot and intent on their destruction, fought with all the strength he could muster; yet in the end he was overcome by superior valor.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: Might unsupported by dharma is finally surpassed; true ‘vīrya’ is the valor aligned with righteousness and divine order.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Measure strength by restraint and justice; cultivate competence while remaining accountable to ethical ends.
Vishishtadvaita: Victory signifies the Lord’s governance of worldly power: finite strengths contend, yet dharmic order—grounded in Bhagavān—prevails within the real world.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Vyuha Form: Aniruddha
FAQs
The verse frames political power as contingent: even a determined, capable warrior can be subdued when confronted by greater heroic force, reinforcing the Purāṇic theme that sovereignty is not merely personal strength.
Parāśara narrates it as a straightforward contest of strength and resolve—Bāṇa fights to his utmost, yet is ultimately defeated by superior valor—typical of the dynastic-chronicle style of Ansha 4.
Even in a primarily historical-war passage, the Vishnu Purana’s broader lens implies that worldly might rises and falls within the higher order upheld by Vishnu, the supreme ground of dharma and kingship.