Shloka 10

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

श्रुतकर्मापि समरे नाराचेन समर्पित: । सुस्त्राव रुधिरं तत्र गैरिकार्द्र इवाचल:,उस समय नाराचसे घायल हुआ श्रुतकर्मा समरांगणमें उसी प्रकार रक्त बहाने लगा, जैसे गेरूसे भीगा हुआ पर्वत लाल रंगकी जलधारा बहाता है

Transliteration

śrutakarmāpi samare nārācena samarpitaḥ | sustrāva rudhiraṃ tatra gairikārdra ivācalaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Though Śrutakarmā was a valiant warrior, when he was struck in battle by a nārāca arrow, he began to pour forth blood upon that field—like a mountain soaked with red ochre, letting streams of crimson water run down.

Word by Word

श्रुतकर्माShrutakarman (proper name)

अपिalso/even

समरेin battle

नाराचेनwith a (steel) arrow

समर्पितःstruck/afflicted (lit. 'delivered/assigned')

सुस्त्रावflowed forth/oozed

रुधिरम्blood

तत्रthere

गैरिक-आर्द्रःmoistened with red ochre

इवlike/as

अचलःmountain

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śrutakarmā

nārāca (arrow)

battlefield

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the grim reality of war: courage does not exempt one from pain and bodily vulnerability. It implicitly reflects the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension—kṣatriya duty drives combat, yet the narrative repeatedly foregrounds the human cost through vivid, sobering imagery.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Śrutakarmā being struck by a nārāca arrow in battle. As a result, Śrutakarmā bleeds heavily, and the poet compares the streaming blood to red-ochre-tinted water flowing from a mountain.