Shloka 26
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
ततः प्राग्ज्योतिषो राजा नागराजं समास्थित: । यथा वज्रधर: पूर्व संग्रामे तारकामये
tataḥ prāgjyotiṣo rājā nāgarājaṃ samāsthitaḥ | yathā vajradharaḥ pūrvaṃ saṅgrāme tārakāmaye ||
Kemudian raja Prāgjyotiṣa, Bhagadatta, maju dengan menunggang gajah agung—sebagaimana dahulu kala Indra sang pemegang vajra berangkat ke perang Tārakāmaya dengan duduk di atas Airāvata.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how worldly power and martial pride can mirror divine-scale conflict: kings on the battlefield adopt grand, celestial models of warfare, reminding the listener that war magnifies both prowess and the moral weight of one’s choices.
Sañjaya describes Bhagadatta, king of Prāgjyotiṣa, arriving for the great battle mounted on a mighty elephant, likening his advance to Indra riding Airāvata in the ancient Tārakāmaya war.