Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13
स हि राज्ञामजेयोऽभूद्यथापूर्वं बलिर्बली । कंटकं कंटकेनेव धृतराष्ट्रो जिगाय तम्
sa hi rājñāmajeyo'bhūdyathāpūrvaṃ balirbalī | kaṃṭakaṃ kaṃṭakeneva dhṛtarāṣṭro jigāya tam
وہ بادشاہوں میں ناقابلِ تسخیر تھا، جیسے قدیم زمانے کا زورآور بَلی؛ مگر دھرتراشٹر نے اسے یوں مغلوب کیا جیسے کانٹا کانٹے سے نکالا جاتا ہے۔
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)
Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)
Scene: Narrative tableau: the ‘unconquerable’ king likened to Bali; a symbolic thorn being removed by another thorn overlaying the political scene; Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s strategic victory implied rather than shown directly.
FAQs
Purāṇic discourse often frames pragmatic governance: a harmful force may be neutralized through an opposing force, like thorn against thorn.
None; the verse is political-narrative rather than tīrtha-māhātmya.
None.