Shloka 34
दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra
चित्र सम्प्रेक्ष्य निहतं तावका रणशोभिन: । अभ्यद्रवन्त वेगेन प्रतिविन्ध्यं समन्तत:ः,चित्रको मारा गया देख संग्राममें शोभा पानेवाले आपके योद्धा प्रतिविन्ध्यपर चारों ओरसे वेगपूर्वक टूट पड़े
citraṃ samprekṣya nihataṃ tāvakā raṇaśobhinaḥ | abhyadravanta vegena prativindhyaṃ samantataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing Citra struck down, your warriors—who had been lending splendor to the battlefield—rushed with great speed and closed in on Prativindhya from all sides. The moment shows how, in war, grief and rage quickly harden into collective retaliation, and how the fall of one fighter can ignite a surge that threatens to overwhelm even a valiant opponent.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical pattern in the epic: in the heat of war, attachment to one’s side turns loss into anger, and anger into swift retaliation. It cautions how collective passion can eclipse restraint and fair combat.
After Citra is seen fallen, the Kaurava fighters surge forward together and surround Prativindhya, charging him from every direction with great speed.