Shloka 55

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas

Devanagari script

वालिसुग्रीवयो र्भ्रात्रो: पुरेव कपिसिंहयो: । अन्योन्यमपि संरब्धौ परस्परजयैषिणौ

Transliteration

vāli-sugrīvayor bhrātroḥ pureva kapi-siṁhayor | anyonyam api saṁrabdhau paraspara-jayaiṣiṇau ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: как некогда два братa-обезьяны, подобные львам, Вали и Сугрива, сошлись в свирепой битве, так и эти двое теперь начали схватку. Оба пылали гневом друг на друга и оба стремились к победе: с одной стороны — Кичака, главный среди кичаков; с другой — Бхимасена, лучший из людей.

Word by Word

• वालि: of Vali
• वालि: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सुग्रीवयोः: of Sugriva (two persons implied with Vali as a pair in context)
• सुग्रीवयोः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• भ्रात्रोः: of the two brothers
• भ्रात्रोः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• कपि-सिंहयोः: of the two lion-like monkeys (Vali and Sugriva)
• कपि-सिंहयोः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिसिंह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• अन्योन्यम्: each other, mutually
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• संरब्धौ: both enraged, excited
• संरब्धौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संरब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• परस्पर-जय-एषिणौ: both desiring victory over each other
• परस्पर-जय-एषिणौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परस्परजयेषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vāli
• Sugrīva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger and the craving for victory (jaya-eṣaṇā) intensify conflict; it implicitly invites reflection on restraint and right purpose in the use of strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator compares the impending fight to the famous Vāli–Sugrīva brotherly combat, indicating that the two opponents have become mutually enraged and are battling with the sole aim of defeating each other.