Shloka 25

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

सा पपात द्विधा छिज्ना प्रतिविन्ध्यशरै: शितै: । युगान्ते सर्वभूतानि त्रासयन्ती यथाशनि:,प्रतिविन्ध्यके तीखे बाणोंसे दो टूक होकर वह शक्ति प्रलयकालनमें सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंको भयभीत करनेवाली अशनिके समान गिर पड़ी

Transliteration

sā papāta dvidhā chinnā prativindhyaśaraiḥ śitaiḥ | yugānte sarvabhūtāni trāsayantī yathāśaniḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Von Prativindhyas scharfen Pfeilen getroffen, wurde jene śakti (Wurfspeer) in zwei Teile gespalten und stürzte herab. Sie schlug nieder wie ein Donnerkeil am Ende eines Zeitalters und versetzte alle Wesen in Schrecken.

Word by Word

साshe/that (woman/thing)

पपातfell

द्विधाin two parts, in two

छिन्नाcut, severed

प्रतिविन्ध्य-शरैःby Prativindhya's arrows

शितैःsharp

युगान्तेat the end of an age (at the time of dissolution)

सर्व-भूतानिall beings

त्रासयन्तीterrifying (causing fear)

यथाlike, as

अशनिḥthunderbolt

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Prativindhya

śakti (missile-weapon)

aśani (thunderbolt)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the terrifying potency of martial power and the fragility of even formidable weapons when met with skill and resolve. The yugānta-thunderbolt simile also reminds the listener that violence can resemble cosmic catastrophe, urging ethical sobriety about war’s consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the battle, a śakti-type missile is struck by Prativindhya’s sharp arrows, split into two, and falls to the ground. Its fall is compared to a thunderbolt at the end of the age, emphasizing the shock and fear it produces among all beings.