Shloka 23
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
तौ स जित्वा महाराज नागराजसुतासुत: । पौरुष॑ ख्यापयंस्तूर्ण व्यधमत् तव वाहिनीम्,महाराज! इरावान् नागराजकन्या उलूपीका पुत्र था। उसने विन्दर और अनुविन्दको जीतकर अपने पुरुषार्थका परिचय देते हुए तुरंत ही आपकी सेनाका संहार आरम्भ कर दिया
tau sa jitvā mahārāja nāgarājasutāsutaḥ | pauruṣaṁ khyāpayaṁs tūrṇaṁ vyadhamat tava vāhinīm, mahārāja |
Sañjaya said: O King, having defeated those two, Irāvān—born of Ulūpī, the Nāga princess—swiftly displayed his valor and at once began to shatter your army. The episode underscores how, in the chaos of war, individual prowess and inherited duty can suddenly turn the tide, even against a vast host.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of pauruṣa (valor) expressed through decisive action in battle, while also reminding that lineage and duty can manifest unexpectedly—one warrior’s courage can disrupt even a powerful army.
Irāvān, the son of Ulūpī (a Nāga princess), defeats the two warriors Vinda and Anuvinda and then rapidly begins to rout and destroy the Kaurava forces, as reported by Sañjaya to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.