Shloka 25

दण्डधारवधः | The Slaying of Daṇḍadhāra

Devanagari script

सा पपात द्विधा छिज्ना प्रतिविन्ध्यशरै: शितै: । युगान्ते सर्वभूतानि त्रासयन्ती यथाशनि:,प्रतिविन्ध्यके तीखे बाणोंसे दो टूक होकर वह शक्ति प्रलयकालनमें सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंको भयभीत करनेवाली अशनिके समान गिर पड़ी

Transliteration

sā papāta dvidhā chinnā prativindhyaśaraiḥ śitaiḥ | yugānte sarvabhūtāni trāsayantī yathāśaniḥ ||

Translation

सा पपात द्विधा छिन्ना प्रतिविन्ध्यशरैः शितैः । युगान्ते सर्वभूतानि त्रासयन्ती यथाशनिः ॥

Word by Word

साshe/that (woman/thing)

पपातfell

द्विधाin two parts, in two

छिन्नाcut, severed

प्रतिविन्ध्य-शरैःby Prativindhya's arrows

शितैःsharp

युगान्तेat the end of an age (at the time of dissolution)

सर्व-भूतानिall beings

त्रासयन्तीterrifying (causing fear)

यथाlike, as

अशनिḥthunderbolt

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Prativindhya

śakti (missile-weapon)

aśani (thunderbolt)

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 underscores the terrifying potency of martial power and the fragility of even formidable weapons when met with skill and resolve. The yugānta-thunderbolt simile also reminds the listener that violence can resemble cosmic catastrophe, urging ethical sobriety about war’s consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the battle, a śakti-type missile is struck by Prativindhya’s sharp arrows, split into two, and falls to the ground. Its fall is compared to a thunderbolt at the end of the age, emphasizing the shock and fear it produces among all beings.