Shloka 163
अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः
Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire
नादेन रिपुसैन्यानां येषां संज्ञा प्रणश्यति । उस रथके शिखरपर बैठा हुआ वह वानर ऐसा जान पड़ता था, मानो शत्रुओंको भस्म कर डालना चाहता हो। उस ध्वजमें और भी नाना प्रकारके बड़े भयंकर प्राणी रहते थे, जिनकी आवाज सुनकर शत्रु-सैनिकोंके होश उड़ जाते थे
nādena ripusainyānāṃ yeṣāṃ saṃjñā praṇaśyati | rathasya śikharopaviṣṭaḥ sa vānara iva dṛśyate, śatrūn bhasma kartum icchann iva | tasmin dhvaje ca nānāvidhā mahābhayānakāḥ prāṇinaḥ santi, yeṣāṃ śabdaṃ śrutvā śatru-sainikānāṃ prajñā muhyati |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: By the sheer roar of those beings, the enemy soldiers would lose their senses. Perched upon the summit of the chariot, that monkey-banner appeared as though it longed to reduce the foes to ashes. Within that standard dwelt many other great and terrifying creatures; hearing their cries, the enemy’s troops were thrown into confusion. The passage underscores how righteous might, when disciplined and directed, can break the adversary’s morale without needless slaughter—war’s outcome often turns first upon fear, resolve, and the steadiness of mind.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that in warfare the mind is decisive: terror, sound, and symbols can shatter an opponent’s composure. Ethically, it suggests that disciplined power and psychological mastery may achieve victory by breaking morale rather than by indiscriminate violence.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a chariot-banner bearing a monkey figure and other fearsome beings. Their roaring cries are so dreadful that enemy soldiers lose their senses, indicating the overwhelming, intimidating presence of the warrior’s standard in battle.