Shloka 27
दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra
सा जघान हयांस्तस्य सारथिं च महारणे । रथं प्रमृद्य वेगेन धरणीमन्वपद्यत,उस गदाने महासमरमें प्रतिविन्ध्यके घोड़ों और सारथिको मार डाला और रथको भी चूर-चूर करती हुई वह बड़े वेगसे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ी
sā jaghāna hayāṁs tasya sārathiṁ ca mahāraṇe | rathaṁ pramṛdya vegena dharaṇīm anvapadyata ||
Sañjaya said: In that great battle she struck down his horses and his charioteer; and, crushing the chariot with force, she fell to the earth at great speed. The verse underscores the brutal immediacy of war—where skill and momentum can annihilate both men and instruments—while also hinting at the moral weight of violence as lives and livelihoods are destroyed in an instant.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral reality of war: not only warriors but also attendants and animals are destroyed, and even the instruments of battle are shattered. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of conflict and the way momentum and violence can rapidly overturn fortune.
Sañjaya reports that a female figure (as indicated by sā) kills the opponent’s horses and charioteer in the thick of battle; then, after crushing the chariot, she herself falls to the ground with great speed—suggesting a violent collision, overthrow, or sudden downfall amid combat.