Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तयोर्दिव्यास्त्रविदुषोरस्यतोर्निशिताउछरान्‌ । न विशेषस्तदा राजॉल्लक्ष्यते सम महात्मनो:,राजन! वे दोनों महात्मा दिव्यास्त्रोंके पण्डित थे और एक-दूसरेपर पैने बाण फेंक रहे थे। उस समय उन दोनोंमें कोई अन्तर नहीं दिखायी देता था

Transliteration

tayor divyāstraviduṣor asyator niśitāñ śarān | na viśeṣas tadā rājāl lakṣyate sama-mahātmanoḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Tâu Đại vương, cả hai bậc đại hồn ấy đều tinh thông thần khí, cứ liên tiếp phóng những mũi tên sắc nhọn vào nhau. Khi ấy, không thể nhận ra sự khác biệt nào giữa họ—thật ngang tài ngang sức về võ công lẫn khí phách.

Word by Word

तयोःof those two

दिव्यdivine

अस्त्रweapon (missile-weapon)

विदुषोःof the two learned/knowing ones

अस्यतोःof the two who were shooting/casting

निशितान्sharp

इषून्arrows

नnot

विशेषःdifference

तदाthen/at that time

राजन्O king

लक्ष्यतेis perceived/seen

समःequal

महात्मनोःof the two great-souled ones

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

King (Janamejaya)

divine weapons (divyāstrāṇi)

arrows (śarāḥ)

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 ideal of kṣatriya excellence: mastery, steadiness, and parity in combat. Ethically, it frames the encounter as a test of disciplined skill rather than mere aggression—two noble warriors meeting as equals, where merit is measured by restraint and capability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a duel in which two great warriors, both proficient in celestial weaponry, exchange sharp arrows. Their abilities appear so evenly matched that no difference between them can be discerned at that moment.