Shloka 31

Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha

Verbal Duel and Omens

Devanagari script

रामरावणयोश्रैव वालिसुग्रीवयोस्तथा । तथैव कालस्य समीौ मृत्योश्रैव परंतपौ,महाराज! शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले वे दोनों महाबली वीर यमराज, इन्द्र, वरुण, श्रीकृष्ण, बलराम, कुबेर, मधु, कैटभ, सुन्द, उपसुन्द, राम, रावण तथा बालि और सुमग्रीवके समान पराक्रम दिखानेवाले थे तथा काल एवं मृत्युके समान जान पड़ते थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

rāma-rāvaṇayoś caiva vāli-sugrīvayos tathā |

tathaiva kālasya samau mṛtyoś caiva parantapau ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「大王よ、敵を苦しめるその二人の英雄は、ラーマとラーヴァナに等しく、またヴァーリとスグリーヴァにも等しいように見えた。さらに同じく、彼らは時（カーラ）そのもの、死（ムリティユ）そのもののごとく—抗しがたい力の姿として現れた。」

Word by Word

रामof Rama

रावणयोःof the two Ravanas / of Ravana (dual form used in dvandva context)

चand

एवindeed/just

वालिof Vali

सुग्रीवयोःof the two Sugrivas / of Sugriva (dual form used in dvandva context)

तथाso/likewise

तथाlikewise

एवindeed

कालस्यof Time (Kala)

समीपौnear/like (in proximity; figuratively comparable)

मृत्योःof Death

चand

एवindeed

परंतपौthe two scorcher(s) of foes

महाराजO great king!

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Rama

Ravana

Vali

Sugriva

Kala (Time)

Mrityu (Death)

Maharaja (the King, i.e., Dhritarashtra as addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic idea that in the extremity of battle, great warriors can appear like cosmic principles—Time and Death—suggesting the inevitability of destruction and the moral gravity of warfare, where human agency operates under the shadow of fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya is describing two formidable combatants to the King, emphasizing their overwhelming prowess by comparing them to famous rival pairs (Rama–Ravana, Vali–Sugriva) and to the unstoppable forces of Time and Death.