Shloka 743
निपतन्तो<भभ्यदृश्यन्त नगेभ्य इव पन्नगा: । वे तीखे बाण उस समय दैत्योंके शरीरोंको विदीर्ण कर रणभूमिमें इस प्रकार गिरते दिखायी देते थे, मानो वृक्षोंसे सर्प गिर रहे हों
nipatanto 'bhyadṛśyanta nagebhya iva pannagāḥ |
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “They were seen falling down—like serpents dropping from mountains.” In the battle’s fury, the sharp arrows tore through the bodies of the daityas, and the warriors collapsed upon the field in a manner that recalled snakes slipping and plunging from rocky heights. The image underscores the relentless, impersonal force of war, where even the mighty are brought low when struck by decisive action.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark inevitability of downfall in warfare: strength and stature do not guarantee safety. It also exemplifies how epic poetry uses vivid similes to convey the moral gravity and emotional intensity of battle.
In Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration of a battle, combatants (contextually the daityas in the surrounding passage) are struck by sharp arrows and are seen collapsing on the battlefield, compared to snakes falling from mountains.