Shloka 19
Pṛthā’s Atithi-Sevā and the Gift of the Deva-Āhvāna Mantra (पृथायाः अतिथिसेवा तथा देवाह्वानमन्त्रप्रदानम्)
अब उसने अपना शरीर बहुत बड़ा बना लिया। उसके अनेक पैर, अनेक सिर और अनेक भुजाएँ हो गयीं। यह देख लक्ष्मणने ब्रह्मास्त्रका प्रयोग करके पर्वत-समूहके समान विशाल शरीरवाले उस राक्षसको चीर डाला ।। स पपात महावीर्यों दिव्यास्त्राभिहतो रणे | महाशनिविनिर्दग्ध: पादपो5ड्कुरवानिव,जैसे महान् भयंकर बिजलीके आघातसे शाखाओं और पत्तोंसहित वृक्ष दग्ध हो जाता है, उसी प्रकार लक्ष्मणके दिव्यास्त्रसे आहत होकर महापराक्रमी कुम्भकर्ण रणभूमिमें गिर पड़ा
sa papāta mahāvīryo divyāstrābhihato raṇe | mahāśanivinirdagdhaḥ pādapo 'ṅkuravān iva ||
Struck in battle by a celestial weapon, the mighty warrior fell upon the battlefield—like a tree, still bearing fresh shoots, that is scorched by the terrible stroke of a great lightning-bolt. The simile underscores the ethical gravity of war: even formidable power, when turned toward unrighteous violence, can be brought down by disciplined, divinely sanctioned force.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inevitability of downfall when overwhelming force meets a higher, disciplined power symbolized by a divinely empowered weapon. The lightning-scorched tree image conveys how swiftly even great strength can be neutralized, reminding the listener that martial power must align with dharma and restraint.
In the midst of battle, a mighty figure is struck by a celestial missile and collapses on the field. The fall is compared to a living tree with sprouts that is suddenly burned by a fierce lightning strike, emphasizing the sudden, decisive impact of the divine weapon.