हताश्वात् तु रथात् तूर्णम् अवतीर्य महाभुजः ॥
आरुरोह रथं भ्रातुर् अन्यच् च धनुर् आददे ॥
ताव् एकरथम् आरूढौ भ्रातरौ वृषकाचलौ ॥
शरवर्षेण बीभत्सुम् अविध्येतां पुनः पुनः ॥
स्यालौ तव महात्मानौ राजानौ वृषकाचलौ ॥
भृशं निजघ्नतुः पार्थम् इन्द्रं वृत्रबलाव् इव ॥
hatāśvāt tu rathāt tūrṇam avatīrya mahābhujaḥ ||
āruroha rathaṃ bhrātur anyac ca dhanur ādade ||
tāv ekaratham ārūḍhau bhrātarau vṛṣakācalau ||
śaravarṣeṇa bībhatsum avidhyetāṃ punaḥ punaḥ ||
syālau tava mahātmānau rājānau vṛṣakācalau ||
bhṛśaṃ nijaghnatuḥ pārtham indraṃ vṛtrabalāv iva ||
Leaping swiftly down from his chariot with its slain horses, the mighty-armed Vrishaka mounted his brother's chariot and took up another bow. The two brothers, Vrishaka and Achala, mounted together on one chariot, wounded Bibhatsu time after time with a rain of arrows. Your brothers-in-law, great in spirit, the kings Vrishaka and Achala, smote Partha firmly, just as Vritra and Bala once smote Indra.
8037d29ff920 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
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Having lost his horses, Vrishaka does not retreat but mounts his brother's chariot -- and the two fight on from one chariot, shoulder to shoulder. In this brotherly unity, unbroken even in misfortune, lies a particular beauty of valor. The comparison to Vritra and Bala, the fearsome asuras who besieged Indra, is grand, and also prophetic -- for those asuras fell by Indra's hand. It is telling that the tradition calls them "great in spirit" though they are enemies -- valor is honored even in an opponent. The verse teaches that brothers sharing one chariot and one fate are more formidable than each apart; that misfortune should not part kin but bind them closer; and that even in the enemy's camp the tradition discerns true greatness of spirit, not withholding respect from those who fight bravely, even for an unjust cause.