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Shloka 9

दूषणवधः

The Slaying of Dūṣaṇa and the Rout of Khara’s Host

Devanagari script

स च्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः।।।।जग्राह गिरिशृङ्गाभं परिघं रोमहर्षणम्।वेष्टितं काञ्चनैः पट्टैर्देवसैन्यप्रमर्दनम्।।।।आयसैश्शङ्कुभिस्तीक्ष्णैः कीर्णं परवसोक्षितम्।वज्राशनिसमस्पर्शं परगोपुरदारणम्।।।।

Transliteration

sa cchinna-dhanvā viratho hatāśvo hata-sārathiḥ | jagrāha giriśṛṅgābhaṃ parighaṃ romaharṣaṇam |

veṣṭitaṃ kāñcanaiḥ paṭṭair deva-sainya-pramardanam |

āyasaiḥ śaṅkubhis tīkṣṇaiḥ kīrṇaṃ paravaso-kṣitam |

vajrāśani-sama-sparśaṃ para-gopura-dāraṇam ||

Translation

ولمّا قُطِع قوسُه وبَطُلَت مركبتُه، وقُتِلَت خيولُه وسائقُه، قبضَ دُوشَنَةُ على هِراوةٍ من حديدٍ مُروِّعةٍ كأنّها قِمّةُ جبل؛ مُلِفَّةٌ بأطواقٍ من ذهب، مُرصَّعةٌ بمساميرَ حادّةٍ من حديد، كأنّها مُلطَّخةٌ بنُخاعِ العدوّ؛ لَمسُها كالصاعقة، قادرةٌ على تحطيمِ أبوابِ الحصونِ وأبراجِها عند الخصم.

Word by Word
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular pronoun)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
chinna-dhanvāwhose bow was broken
chinna-dhanvā:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootchinna (कृदन्त, √chid) + dhanvan (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: छिन्नं धनुः यस्य सः (whose bow is broken)
virathaḥwithout a chariot
virathaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi-ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: रथो नास्ति यस्य (chariotless)
hata-aśvaḥwhose horses were slain
hata-aśvaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Roothata (कृदन्त, √han) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: हताः अश्वाः यस्य (whose horses are killed)
hata-sārathiḥwhose charioteer was slain
hata-sārathiḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Roothata (कृदन्त, √han) + sārathi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: हतः सारथिः यस्य (whose charioteer is killed)
jagrāhaseized / took up
jagrāha:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootgrah (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; धातु: ग्रह् (to seize/take up)
giri-śṛṅga-ābhammountain-peak-like
giri-śṛṅga-ābham:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootgiri (प्रातिपदिक) + śṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: गिरिशृङ्गस्य आभा इव (having the appearance of a mountain-peak)
parighamiron club/bar (parigha)
parigham:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootparigha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)
roma-harṣaṇamhorripilating / terrifying
roma-harṣaṇam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootroma (प्रातिपदिक) + harṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: रोम्णां हर्षणम् (causing horripilation)
veṣṭitamwrapped / bound
veṣṭitam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootveṣṭ (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; √veṣṭ (to wrap/bind)
kāñcanaiḥgolden
kāñcanaiḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootkāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘paṭṭaiḥ’ (Instrumental plural)
paṭṭaiḥwith bands/strips
paṭṭaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootpaṭṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)
deva-sainya-pramardanamcrusher of the gods' army
deva-sainya-pramardanam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक) + pramardana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: देवानां सैन्यस्य प्रमर्दनम् (crusher of the gods' army)
āyasaiḥiron (made of iron)
āyasaiḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootāyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘śaṅkubhiḥ’ (made of iron)
śaṅkubhiḥwith spikes/nails
śaṅkubhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootśaṅku (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)
tīkṣṇaiḥsharp
tīkṣṇaiḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Roottīkṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘śaṅkubhiḥ’ (sharp)
kīrṇamcovered / strewn
kīrṇam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṝ (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; √kṝ/कीर् (to scatter/cover)
paravasokṣitamsmeared with enemy's marrow/fat
paravasokṣitam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक) + vasa (प्रातिपदिक) + ukṣita (कृदन्त, √ukṣ)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: परस्य वसा (मज्जा/वसा) इति + उक्षितम् (sprinkled/smeared with enemy's marrow/fat)
vajra-āśani-sama-sparśamwith thunderbolt-like touch
vajra-āśani-sama-sparśam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootvajra (प्रातिपदिक) + āśani (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: वज्राशन्योः समः स्पर्शः यस्य (having a touch like thunderbolt)
para-gopura-dāraṇambreaker of enemy gate-towers
para-gopura-dāraṇam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक) + gopura (प्रातिपदिक) + dāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: परस्य गोपुरस्य दारणम् (breaker of enemy gate-towers)
Context

With his bow and chariot broken, charioteer and horses killed, Dusana took up a spear in his hand that appeared like a huge mountain top. Bound by golden bands, covered the iron nails, wetted with the enemy's marrow it created a horripilation. It appeared as though it could crush the army of gods and render the enemy powerless. It carried the killing touch of the thunderbolt and could break open the enemy's fort.

Characters & Entities
D
Dūṣaṇa
R
Rāma
P
Parigha (iron club/bar)

FAQs

The verse warns how adharma escalates: when checked, the aggressor intensifies brutality rather than repenting—contrasting with dharma’s ideal of restraint and accountability.

Disarmed and immobilized, Dūṣaṇa shifts tactics and arms himself with a massive spiked iron club to continue the fight at close quarters.

Rāma’s implied steadfast protection-role is the backdrop; Dūṣaṇa’s trait highlighted is obstinate aggression—persistence without righteousness.

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