Mahabharata 4.13.31 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 31
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 13 — Kīcaka’s Proposition and Draupadī’s Dharmic Refusal
अरज्यत जन: सर्व: सोत्क़रुष्टनिनदोत्थित: । बलिनो: संयुगे राजन् वृत्रवासवयोरिव
arajyata janaḥ sarvaḥ sotkṛṣṭa-ninadotthitaḥ | balinoḥ saṁyuge rājan vṛtra-vāsavayor iva ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Toute la foule fut saisie d’agitation, soulevée par une clameur forte et exaltée. Ô Roi, c’était comme si deux champions puissants s’étaient rencontrés au combat—tels Vṛtra et Vāsava (Indra) dans leur lutte fameuse.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective emotion is shaped by the spectacle of power: when mighty opponents clash, society is swept up by noise and excitement. Ethically, it cautions that public fervor can arise from mere tumult and display, not necessarily from discernment.
A fierce encounter between two powerful fighters has begun or intensified, producing a great roar. The onlookers become stirred and restless, and the narrator compares the clash to the legendary battle between Indra (Vāsava) and Vṛtra.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.