Shloka 36

Devanagari script

स पपात विनिर्दग्धस्तेजसा ब्रह्म॒वादिनाम्‌ महेन्द्राशनिनिर्दग्ध: पादपो5ड्कुरवानिव,ब्रह्मवादी महात्माओंके तेजसे दग्ध होकर वह राक्षस गिर पड़ा, मानो इन्द्रके वज्ञसे जलकर कोई अंकुरयुक्त वृक्ष धराशायी हो गया हो

Transliteration

sa papāta vinirdagdhas tejasā brahmavādinām | mahendrāśaninirdagdhaḥ pādapo 'ṅkuravān iva ||

Translation

Scorched by the spiritual radiance of those Brahman-sages, the rākṣasa collapsed to the ground—like a tree still bearing fresh shoots, struck down after being burned by Mahendra’s thunderbolt.

Word by Word

सःhe

पपातfell

विनिर्दग्धःburnt up, scorched

तेजसाby the radiance/power

ब्रह्मवादिनाम्of the Brahman-speakers (brahmins/ascetics)

महेन्द्राशनिनिर्दग्धःburnt by Mahendra's thunderbolt

पादपःa tree

अङ्कुरवान्having sprouts

इवas if, like

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

brahmavādins (Brahman-sages)

rākṣasa

Mahendra (Indra)

aśani (thunderbolt)

pādapa (tree with sprouts)

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 that the moral-spiritual force (tejas) of dharmic sages can overpower destructive aggression; ethical discipline and truth-bearing authority are portrayed as a higher power than mere physical might.

What is happening in the narrative?

A rākṣasa, unable to withstand the burning radiance of the brahmavādins, collapses—compared to a sprouting tree felled after being scorched by Indra’s thunderbolt.