Shloka 11
Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha
Combat Description and Elephant Duel
वृषभो वृषभस्येव यो युद्धे न निवर्तते । शत्रोरपि महेन्द्रस्य वज़संहननो युवा
vṛṣabho vṛṣabhasyeva yo yuddhe na nivartate | śatror api mahendrasya vajrasaṃhanano yuvā ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra dit : «Tel un taureau parmi les taureaux, il ne se détourna jamais dans la bataille. Même face à un ennemi aussi redoutable que Mahendra (Indra), le jeune guerrier —le corps dur comme s’il eût été forgé du vajra— ne recula pas.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises unwavering commitment to one’s warrior-duty: true valor is not merely strength, but steadfastness—refusing to retreat even when confronted by an overwhelmingly powerful foe.
The narrator describes a heroic fighter’s battlefield nature through strong similes: he is ‘bull-like’ in dominance and resolve, and ‘vajra-bodied’ in toughness, standing firm even against an enemy likened to Indra.