Shloka 4
Ananta-Śeṣa Tapas and the Bearing of the Earth (अनन्त-शेष-तपस् तथा महीधारणम्)
स तेन पतगेन्द्रेण पक्षतुण्डनखक्षत: । मुहूर्तमतुलं युद्ध कृत्वा विनिहतो युधि,वे पक्षिराजके साथ दो घड़ीतक अनुपम युद्ध करके उनके पंख, चोंच और नखोंसे घायल हो उस रणांगणमें मृतकतुल्य हो गये
sa tena patagendreṇa pakṣatuṇḍanakhakṣataḥ | muhūrtam atulaṃ yuddhaṃ kṛtvā vinihato yudhi ||
Ferido por aquele senhor das aves—rasgado por asas, bico e garras—ele travou por breve tempo uma batalha incomparável; então, no campo de combate, foi derrubado e ficou como morto.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of conflict: even when one fights bravely and for a time withstands a formidable opponent, violence leaves deep wounds and can end in ruin. It invites reflection on the cost of hostility and the fragility of life amid combat.
A figure engages in a fierce, unequalled fight with a powerful ‘lord of birds.’ He is slashed and pierced by the bird’s wings, beak, and talons; after battling for a short while, he is struck down on the battlefield, left virtually dead.