Shloka 33
दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra
स पपात तदा राजा तोमरेण समाहतः । प्रसार्य विपुलौ बाहू पीनौ परिघसंनिभौ,तोमरसे अत्यन्त आहत हो राजा चित्र अपनी परिघके समान मोटी और विशाल भुजाओंको फैलाकर तत्काल पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
sa papāta tadā rājā tomareṇa samāhataḥ | prasārya vipulau bāhū pīnau parigha-sannibhau ||
Sañjaya sprach: Da stürzte der König, hart von einem Wurfspieß getroffen, sogleich zu Boden und warf seine beiden breiten Arme aus — dick und gewaltig wie eiserne Keulen — ein Bild königlicher Macht, die von der erbarmungslosen Logik des Krieges niedergerungen wird.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark impermanence of power and the ethical gravity of warfare: even a mighty king, emblematic of strength, can be felled in an instant. It invites reflection on the cost of conflict and the limits of worldly might.
Sañjaya reports that a king has been struck by a tomara (javelin) and collapses to the ground, his arms spread out—described as huge and club-like—highlighting both his former strength and his sudden defeat on the battlefield.