Shloka 35
Adhyāya 22: Śālva’s Weapon-Shower, Dāruka’s Wounding, and the Māyā-Report of Vasudeva’s Father
द्विधा कृतं ततः: सौभ॑ सुदर्शनबलाद्धतम् । महेश्वरशरोद्धूतं पपात त्रिपुरं यथा,सुदर्शन चक्रकी शक्तिसे कटकर दो टुकड़ोंमें बँटा हुआ सौभविमान महादेवजीके बाणोंसे छिन्न-भिन्न हुए त्रिपुरकी भाँति पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
dvidhā kṛtaṃ tataḥ saubhaṃ sudarśana-balāddhatam | maheśvara-śaroddhūtaṃ papāta tripuraṃ yathā ||
Then the Saubha aerial city, split into two and struck down by the might of the Sudarśana (discus), fell to the earth—shattered and hurled down by Maheśvara’s arrows—just as Tripura once fell. The scene underscores that even seemingly invincible fortresses and powers collapse when confronted by divinely sanctioned force aligned with cosmic order.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the fall of Saubha—likened to Tripura’s destruction—to stress the fragility of power founded on pride or adharma: even formidable strongholds collapse when opposed by divinely aligned force that restores cosmic balance.
Vāyudeva describes Saubha being split into two and brought down by the power of Sudarśana, and—like Tripura shattered by Śiva’s arrows—falling to the earth, emphasizing a dramatic divine defeat of an otherwise impregnable aerial fortress.