Shloka 25
दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra
सा पपात द्विधा छिज्ना प्रतिविन्ध्यशरै: शितै: । युगान्ते सर्वभूतानि त्रासयन्ती यथाशनि:,प्रतिविन्ध्यके तीखे बाणोंसे दो टूक होकर वह शक्ति प्रलयकालनमें सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंको भयभीत करनेवाली अशनिके समान गिर पड़ी
sā papāta dvidhā chinnā prativindhyaśaraiḥ śitaiḥ | yugānte sarvabhūtāni trāsayantī yathāśaniḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Struck by Prativindhya’s sharp arrows, that missile-weapon was cut into two and fell. It crashed down like a thunderbolt at the end of an age—terrifying all beings—an image of war’s power when it is severed and turned back from its intended course.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the terrifying potency of martial power and the fragility of even formidable weapons when met with skill and resolve. The yugānta-thunderbolt simile also reminds the listener that violence can resemble cosmic catastrophe, urging ethical sobriety about war’s consequences.
During the battle, a śakti-type missile is struck by Prativindhya’s sharp arrows, split into two, and falls to the ground. Its fall is compared to a thunderbolt at the end of the age, emphasizing the shock and fear it produces among all beings.