Shloka 4
दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra
सो5तिविद्धों महाराज नाराचेन महात्मना । मूर्च्छामभिययौ वीर: कश्मलं चाविवेश ह,महामना श्रुतकर्माके नाराचसे अत्यन्त घायल होनेपर वीर चित्रसेनको मूर्च्छा आ गयी। वे अचेत हो गये
so 'tividdho mahārāja nārācena mahātmanā | mūrcchām abhiyayau vīraḥ kaśmalaṃ cāviveśa ha ||
Sañjaya said: O King, struck through by a nārāca-arrow shot by a great-souled warrior, the hero fell into a swoon; confusion and distress seized him, and he became insensible. The verse underscores how, in the violence of war, even the valiant can be overwhelmed—reminding the listener of the fragility of embodied strength and the moral weight of battlefield action.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the vulnerability of human life and composure in war: physical prowess and courage can be undone in an instant, and the resulting kaśmala (distress/confusion) points to the ethical gravity and psychological cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior has been grievously pierced by a nārāca-arrow shot by a formidable opponent, causing him to faint and become insensible as distress overtakes him.