अथ तैर्निहतः संख्ये सभृत्यबलवाहनः । हरलब्धवरै रौद्रैः काशिराजः प्रतापवान्
atha tairnihataḥ saṃkhye sabhṛtyabalavāhanaḥ | haralabdhavarai raudraiḥ kāśirājaḥ pratāpavān
Kemudian di medan perang, raja Kāśī yang gagah—bersama para pengiring, bala tentera dan tunggangannya—telah terbunuh oleh mereka yang garang, yang memperoleh anugerah daripada Hara (Śiva).
Sūta
Scene: The Kāśirāja falls in combat with his retinue—broken chariot, scattered standards—while fierce boon-endowed foes press forward; the sky feels heavy, as if Hara’s power shadows the scene.
Power gained through boons can still serve destiny’s unfolding; tragedy in Purāṇic narrative often redirects life toward higher refuge in the Divine.
The fall of the Kāśī king becomes the narrative cause for the widows’ journey toward the sacred Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra highlighted in this chapter.
None explicitly; the verse emphasizes the role of Śiva-bestowed boons in the conflict.