Shloka 5
त॑ दृष्टवा निहतं संख्ये प्रहस्तं क्षणदाचरम् । अभिद॒द्राव धूम्राक्षो वेगेन महता कपीन्,निशाचर प्रहस्तको युद्धमें मारा गया देख धूम्राक्ष बड़े वेगसे वानरोंकी ओर दौड़ा
taṁ dṛṣṭvā nihataṁ saṅkhye prahastaṁ kṣaṇadācaram | abhidudrāva dhūmrākṣo vegena mahatā kapīn ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Seeing Prahasta—the night-roaming rākṣasa—slain in the press of battle, Dhūmrākṣa, driven by great speed and fury, rushed straight toward the vānaras. The scene underscores how the fall of a leader ignites retaliatory violence, tightening the cycle of wrath and warfare.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment to faction and the shock of a comrade’s death can trigger immediate retaliation, illustrating the ethical danger of anger (krodha) in war: it accelerates violence and narrows discernment.
After Prahasta, a rākṣasa, is killed in battle, Dhūmrākṣa reacts instantly and charges with great speed toward the vānaras, signaling an escalation of the conflict.