अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः
Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon
तयो: समभवद् युद्ध तुमुलं भरतर्षभ । द्रोणकौन्तेययोस्तत्र बलिवासवयोरिव,भरतश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! तदनन्तर द्रोण और कुन्तीपुत्रमें बलि और इन्द्रके संग्राम-सा तुमुल युद्ध होने लगा
tayoḥ samabhavad yuddhaṁ tumulaṁ bharatarṣabha | droṇakauṇteyayos tatra balivāsavayor iva || bharataśreṣṭha janamejaya tad-anantaraṁ droṇaḥ ca kuntīputraḥ ca balīndrayor iva saṅgrāma-sadṛśaṁ tumulaṁ yuddhaṁ cakratuḥ ||
毗湿摩耶那说道:在那二人之间,便兴起一场凶猛喧腾的大战,噢,婆罗多族中的雄牛!在那里,德罗那与昆蒂之子相搏,其声势如同传说中巴利与瓦萨瓦(因陀罗)之战。噢,阇那梅阇耶,婆罗多族之最!其后,德罗那与昆蒂所生的英雄展开雷霆般的鏖战,可比那神话中的争雄。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights the epic ideal of kṣatriya-dharma: when duty calls, warriors meet in open contest with steadfastness and skill. By invoking the Bali–Indra paradigm, it frames the encounter as a morally weighty trial of power and resolve, where personal prowess is measured against the larger order of dharma and reputation.
Vaiśampāyana describes a fierce duel erupting between Droṇa and a son of Kuntī. The fight is portrayed as extraordinarily intense, likened to the famed battle between Bali and Indra, emphasizing the scale and ferocity of the clash.