Shloka 20

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

प्रतिविन्ध्यस्ततश्रित्रं भित्ता पठचभिराशुगै: । सारथिं च त्रिभिरविंद्ध्वा ध्वजमेकेषुणापि च

Transliteration

prativindhyas tataḥ śitraṃ bhittvā pañcabhir āśugaiḥ | sārathiṃ ca tribhir avindhyā dhvajam ekeṣuṇāpi ca ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces Prativindhya, tras atravesar la armadura del adversario con cinco flechas veloces, hirió al auriga con otras tres; y con una sola flecha alcanzó también el estandarte. Fue una demostración tajante de precisión en medio de la implacable ética del arte bélico, donde la destreza se mide por la fuerza dominada y no por la mera furia.

Word by Word

• प्रतिविन्ध्यः: Prativindhya (name)
• प्रतिविन्ध्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिविन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भित्त्वा: having pierced/split
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (numeral, indeclinable-like but declines here), Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भिः: with (rays/splendours) / (uncertain reading)
• भिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• आशुगैः: swift (arrows)
• आशुगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सारथिम्: charioteer
• सारथिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (numeral), Instrumental, Plural

• अविन्ध्य: having struck/pierced
• Type: Verb
• Root: विध् (धातु) with preverb अव-
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-सम (absolutive; irregular/epic form), Parasmaipada (usage)

• ध्वजम्: banner/standard
• ध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एकेषुणा: with a single arrow
• एकेषुणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-इषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• प्रतिविन्ध्य (Prativindhya)
• सारथि (charioteer)
• ध्वज (banner/standard)
• आशुग (swift arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined martial excellence: even in war, a warrior’s power is shown through precision and control—piercing armor, targeting the charioteer, and striking the banner—rather than uncontrolled violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Prativindhya shoots a sequence of arrows: five to pierce the opponent’s armor, three to wound the charioteer, and one to strike the chariot’s banner, signaling dominance in the ongoing battle.