Shloka 24

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

तामापतन्तीं सहसा महोल्काप्रतिमां तदा | द्विधा चिच्छेद समरे प्रतिविन्ध्यो हसन्निव,समरांगणमें बड़ी भारी उल्काके समान सहसा आती हुई उस शक्तिको प्रतिविन्ध्यने हँसते हुए-से दो टुकड़ोंमें काट डाला

Transliteration

tām āpatantīṃ sahasā maholkā-pratimāṃ tadā | dvidhā ciccheda samare prativindhyo hasann iva ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ മഹാ ഉൽക്കയെപ്പോലെ പെട്ടെന്ന് പാഞ്ഞുവന്ന ആ ശക്തിയെ കണ്ട പ്രതിവിന്ധ്യൻ, യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ ചിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ അതിനെ രണ്ടായി വെട്ടിപ്പിളർത്തി.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (her/it) (object)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपतन्तीम्: falling/coming swiftly (towards)
• आपतन्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly, at once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)

• महा-उल्का-प्रतिमाम्: like a great meteor
• महा-उल्का-प्रतिमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)

• द्विधा: into two parts
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)

• चिच्छेद: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• प्रतिविन्ध्यः: Prativindhya (name)
• प्रतिविन्ध्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिविन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हसन्: laughing
• हसन्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Prativindhya
• śakti (weapon/spear-like missile)
• battlefield (samara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined fearlessness: in the chaos of war, a warrior’s dharma is shown through steadiness, presence of mind, and precise action—meeting danger with controlled skill rather than uncontrolled anger or panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful weapon (śakti), described as meteor-like, rushes toward its target. Prativindhya intercepts it in combat and splits it into two, appearing almost amused—signaling confidence and mastery on the battlefield.