Shloka 44

अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः

Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon

Devanagari script

युद्ध समभवत्‌ तत्र सुसंरब्धं॑ महात्मनो: । द्रोणपाण्डवयोर्घोरें वृत्रवासवयोरिव

Transliteration

yuddhaṃ samabhavat tatra susaṃrabdhaṃ mahātmanoḥ | droṇapāṇḍavayor ghoraṃ vṛtrāvāsavayor iva ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ସେଠାରେ ଦ୍ରୋଣ ଓ ପାଣ୍ଡବ ମହାତ୍ମାଦ୍ୱୟଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଉଗ୍ର ଯୁଦ୍ଧ ଘଟିଲା; ତାହା ବୃତ୍ର ଓ ବାସବ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର)ଙ୍କ ସଂଘର୍ଷ ପରି ଘୋର ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

युद्धम्battle

समभवत्arose/occurred

तत्रthere

सुसंरब्धम्very fierce/fully enraged

महात्मनोःof the two great-souled ones

द्रोणपाण्डवयोःof Drona and the Pandava

घोरेin the dreadful (fight)

वृत्रवासवयोःof Vritra and Vasava (Indra)

इवlike/as

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Droṇa

Pāṇḍava

Vṛtra

Vāsava (Indra)

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 how epic warfare is portrayed through the lens of dharma and heroic ethos: a duel between eminent figures is presented as a grave, world-resonant event. By likening it to Indra’s primordial battle with Vṛtra, the text underscores the moral and cosmic weight that the tradition often assigns to decisive conflicts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that a fierce battle erupts at that point between Droṇa and a Pāṇḍava warrior. The combat is described as extremely terrible, and its intensity is emphasized through a mythic comparison to the legendary fight between Vṛtra and Indra.