Mahabharata · 7.81.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
भीमसेनं तथा क्रुद्धं भीमरूपो भयानकम् ॥
प्रत्यवारयद् आयान्तम् आर्ष्यशृङ्गिर् महारथः ॥
तयोः समभवद् युद्धं नरराक्षसयोर् मृधे ॥
यादृग् एव पुरा वृत्तं रामरावणयोर् नृप ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhīmasenaṃ tathā kruddhaṃ bhīmarūpo bhayānakam ||
pratyavārayad āyāntam ārṣyaśṛṅgir mahārathaḥ ||
tayoḥ samabhavad yuddhaṃ nararākṣasayor mṛdhe ||
yādṛg eva purā vṛttaṃ rāmarāvaṇayor nṛpa ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
भीमसेनम् तथा क्रुद्धम्bhīmasenam tathā kruddhamBhimasena, likewise enraged; Bhimasena, no less furious
भीमरूपः भयानकम्bhīmarūpaḥ bhayānakamterrifying in form, dreadful; dreadful in appearance — terrible
प्रत्यवारयत् आयान्तम्pratyavārayat āyāntamheld back him as he advanced; restrained him as he bore down
आर्ष्यशृङ्गिः महारथःārṣyaśṛṅgiḥ mahārathaḥthe son of Rishyashringa [Alambusa], the great warrior; Arshyashringi [Alambusa], the maharatha
तयोः समभवत् युद्धम्tayoḥ samabhavat yuddhambetween the two a battle arose; a battle broke out between the two
नरराक्षसयोः मृधेnararākṣasayoḥ mṛdheof man and rakshasa in the fray; of man and demon in the clash
यादृक् एव पुरा वृत्तम्yādṛk eva purā vṛttamjust as once, of old, it happened; exactly as it once occurred long ago
रामरावणयोः नृपrāmarāvaṇayoḥ nṛpabetween Rama and Ravana, O king; between Rama and Ravana, O king
Translation
"Bhimasena, likewise enraged, dreadful — terrifying in form — was held back as he advanced by the great warrior Arshyashringi [Alambusa]. Between the two arose a battle, of man and rakshasa in the fray, just as it once happened, of old, between Rama and Ravana, O king."
Version
67e37eb81fa9 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:22 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The clash of Bhima with the rakshasa Alambusa is likened to the battle of Rama and Ravana: the eternal confrontation of righteous man and demonic power repeats itself on every field. It is telling that the epic sees in every such duel a reflection of the primordial struggle between dharma and adharma. The verse teaches that the war of good and evil was not fought once in ancient times but is enacted again and again: every generation meets its own Ravana, and the duty of the righteous is to go out against him, as Rama once went out.