Shloka 30

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

समासाद्य रणे शूरं प्रतिविन्ध्यं महाप्रभा । निर्भिद्य दक्षिणं बाहुं निषषात महीतले । पतिताभासयच्चैव तं देशमशनिर्यथा,वह अत्यन्त कान्तिमती शक्ति रणभूमिमें शूरवीर प्रतिविन्ध्यको जा लगी और उसकी दाहिनी भुजाको विदीर्ण करती हुई पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ी। वह जहाँ गिरी, उस स्थानको बिजलीके समान प्रकाशित करने लगी

Transliteration

samāsādya raṇe śūraṃ prativindhyaṃ mahāprabhā | nirbhidya dakṣiṇaṃ bāhuṃ niṣaṣāda mahītale | patitābhāsayac caiva taṃ deśam aśanir yathā ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Mitten im Getümmel traf jene mächtige, strahlende Waffe den Helden Prativindhya. Sie durchbohrte seinen rechten Arm, fiel herab und bohrte sich in die Erde; und wo sie niederkam, erhellte sie den Ort wie ein Blitz — ein Bild der jähen, unparteiischen Gewalt des Krieges, in dem Tapferkeit und Schicksal in einem Augenblick zusammenprallen.

Word by Word

• {'samāsādya': 'having reached

• striking after closing in', 'raṇe': 'in battle', 'śūram': 'the hero

• the brave warrior', 'prativindhyam': 'Prativindhya (name of a warrior, son of Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'mahāprabhā': 'of great radiance

• exceedingly brilliant (feminine, qualifying the weapon)', 'nirbhidya': 'having pierced

• having split open', 'dakṣiṇam': 'right (side)', 'bāhum': 'arm', 'niṣaṣāda': 'fell down

• lodged', 'mahītale': 'on the surface of the earth

• on the ground', 'patitā': 'having fallen', 'abhāsayat': 'made shine

• illuminated', 'deśam': 'place

• region', 'aśaniḥ': 'thunderbolt

• lightning', 'yathā': 'like

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Prativindhya
• śakti (spear/weapon)
• battlefield (raṇa/raṇabhūmi)
• earth/ground (mahītala)
• lightning/thunderbolt (aśani)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the suddenness and impartiality of battlefield fate: even a valiant warrior can be struck down in an instant. It reflects the epic’s sober view of kṣatriya-dharma—courage and duty amid unavoidable violence—while hinting at the larger moral cost of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a radiant spear-like weapon striking Prativindhya in combat, piercing his right arm and then falling to the ground. The spot where it lands shines brightly, compared to a flash of lightning.