Shloka 80
Varuṇābhiṣeka–Agni-anveṣaṇa–Kaubera-tīrtha
Varuṇa’s Consecration; Search for Agni; Kaubera Sacred Site
केचिद् घण्टारवत्रस्ता निषेदुर्वसुधातले । केचित् प्रहरणैश्छिन्ना विनिष्पेतुर्गतायुष:,कुछ दैत्य उनके घंटानादसे संत्रस्त होकर धरतीपर बैठ गये और कुछ उनके आयुधोंसे छिन्न-भिन्न हो गतायु होकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े
kecid ghaṇṭāravatrastā niṣedur vasudhātale | kecit praharaṇaiś chinnā viniṣpetur gatāyuṣaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Some, terrified by the clangor of the bell-like roar, sank down upon the ground; others, hewn apart by weapons, fell sprawling to the earth, their lives already spent. The scene underscores how, in the fury of battle, fear and violence alike reduce the proud to helplessness and death.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of life and the leveling power of war: fear can paralyze, and violence can abruptly end life. Implicitly it warns that martial glory is inseparable from suffering and death, urging discernment about the costs of conflict.
In the midst of a fierce battle, combatants are overwhelmed in two ways: some collapse in terror at a thunderous bell-like sound, while others are cut down by weapons and fall dead to the ground.