Shloka 6.58.37

प्रहस्तवधः (The Slaying of Prahasta)

Devanagari script

सधनुर्धन्विनांश्रेष्ठोविकृष्यपरमाहवे ।।।।नीलायव्यसृजद्बाणान्प्रहस्तोवाहिनीपतिः ।

Transliteration

te prāpya viśikhā nīlaṃ vinirbhidya samāhitāḥ |

mahīṃ jagmur mahā-vegā ruṣitā iva pannagāḥ ||6.58.38||

Translation

Those well-aimed arrows reached Nīla, pierced him through, and—rushing with great speed like enraged serpents—drove on into the earth.

Context

Prahastha, the Commander-in-Chief of the army, supreme among wielders of bow, stretched his best bow and drew it and began to discharge arrows at Neela.

Characters & Entities

• Nīla

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse conveys satya (truthfulness) about the reality of conflict: even the strong are wounded. Dharmic action requires endurance and composure under pain rather than collapse into fear or rage.

What is the narrative situation?

Prahasta’s arrows successfully strike and pierce Nīla, continuing into the ground due to their force.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, resilience—Nīla’s capacity to remain a combatant even after being wounded (developed explicitly in the next verse).