Devanagari
बलिर्महेन्द्रं दशभिस्त्रिभिरैरावतं शरै: ।
चतुर्भिश्चतुरो वाहानेकेनारोहमार्च्छयत् ॥ ४१ ॥
Verse text
balir mahendraṁ daśabhis
tribhir airāvataṁ śaraiḥ
caturbhiś caturo vāhān
ekenāroham ārcchayat
Synonyms
baliḥ
—
Mahārāja Bali
;
mahā
—
indram — the King of heaven
;
daśabhiḥ
—
with ten
;
tribhiḥ
—
with three
;
airāvatam
—
Airāvata, carrying Indra
;
śaraiḥ
—
by arrows
;
caturbhiḥ
—
by four arrows
;
caturaḥ
—
the four
;
vāhān
—
mounted soldiers
;
ekena
—
by one
;
āroham
—
the driver of the elephants
;
ārcchayat
—
attacked .
Translation
Mahārāja Bali then attacked Indra with ten arrows and attacked Airāvata, Indra’s carrier elephant, with three arrows. With four arrows he attacked the four horsemen guarding Airāvata’s legs, and with one arrow he attacked the driver of the elephant.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Mahārāja Bali then attacked Indra with ten arrows and attacked Airāvata, Indra's carrier elephant, with three arrows. With four arrows he attacked the four guardians of Airāvata's legs, and with one arrow he attacked the driver of the elephant.
Vāhān refers to the porters of the elephant’s legs. He pierced the elephant driver (āroham).
Purport
The word
vāhān
refers to the soldiers on horseback who protected the legs of the carrier elephants. According to the system of military arrangement, the legs of the elephant bearing the commander were also protected.