Shloka 16

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

राजानं निहतं दृष्टवा तेडभिसारं तु मारिष । अभ्यद्रवन्त वेगेन चित्रसेनस्य सैनिका:,माननीय नरेश! अभिसार देशके अधिपति राजा चित्रसेनको मारा गया देख उनके सैनिक बड़े वेगसे भाग चले

Transliteration

rājānaṁ nihataṁ dṛṣṭvā teḍabhisāraṁ tu māriṣa | abhyadravanta vegena citrasenasya sainikāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing their king slain, those warriors of Abhisāra—O venerable one—rushed forward with great speed, the soldiers of Citraseṇa, driven by shock and the impulse to respond in battle.

Word by Word

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निहतम्: slain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: kta, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), क्त्वा

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभिसारम्: the attack/charge (assault)
• अभिसारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिसार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मारिष: O sir! (term of address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारिष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अभ्यद्रवन्: ran towards / charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• वेगेन: with speed
• वेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• चित्रसेनस्य: of Chitrasena
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रसेन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सैनिकाः: soldiers
• सैनिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Citraseṇa
• Abhisāra (region/people)
• the king (Citraseṇa as ruler)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a battlefield ethic of loyalty and immediate response: the death of a leader triggers collective action—either retaliation or a desperate counter-move—showing how attachment to kingship and group duty can override fear and deliberation in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

After King Citraseṇa, the lord of Abhisāra, is seen slain, his soldiers surge forward at great speed, reacting to the shock of their leader’s fall and attempting to respond on the battlefield.