Text 42] The Battle Between the Demigods and Demons
51
balir mahendraṁ daśabhis tribhir airāvataṁ śaraiḥ caturbhiś caturo vāhān ekenāroham ārcchayat
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.
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.
TEXT 42
स तानापततः शक्रस्तावद्भिः शीघ्रविक्रमः । विच्छेद निशितैर्भेदैरसम्प्राप्तान्हसन्निव ॥४२॥
sa tān āpatataḥ śakras tāvadbhiḥ śīghra-vikramaḥ ciccheda niśitair bhallair asamprāptān hasann iva
saḥ—he (Indra); tān—arrows; āpatataḥ—while moving toward him and falling down; śakraḥ—Indra; tāvadbhiḥ—immediately; śīghra-vikramaḥ—was practiced to oppress very soon; ciccheda—cut to pieces; niśitaiḥ—very sharp; bhallaiḥ—with another type of arrow;