Shloka 4

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

सो5तिविद्धों महाराज नाराचेन महात्मना । मूर्च्छामभिययौ वीर: कश्मलं चाविवेश ह,महामना श्रुतकर्माके नाराचसे अत्यन्त घायल होनेपर वीर चित्रसेनको मूर्च्छा आ गयी। वे अचेत हो गये

Transliteration

so 'tividdho mahārāja nārācena mahātmanā | mūrcchām abhiyayau vīraḥ kaśmalaṃ cāviveśa ha ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാരാജാവേ! മഹാത്മനായ ശ്രുതകർമ്മന്റെ നാരാച അമ്പാൽ അത്യന്തം വേദിക്കപ്പെട്ട ആ വീരൻ മൂർച്ചയിൽ വീണു; ആശങ്കയും കലക്കവും അവനെ പിടികൂടി, അവൻ അചേതനനായി।

Word by Word

सःhe

अतिविद्धःpierced deeply / severely wounded

महाराजO great king

नाराचेनwith an iron arrow

महात्मनाby the great-souled (one)

मूर्च्छाम्fainting / swoon

अभिययौwent into / fell into

वीरःthe hero

कश्मलम्bewilderment / distress

चand

अविवेशentered / came upon (him)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

nārāca (arrow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.