Shloka 296

चुक्षुभे भरतश्रेष्ठ तिमिनेव नदीमुखम्‌ । भरतश्रेष्ठ! जैसे तिमिनामक मत्स्य नदीके प्रवाहको विक्षुब्ध कर देता है, उसी प्रकार द्रोणपुत्रके द्वारा संतप्त की हुई पाण्डव-सेनामें हलचल मच गयी

cukṣubhe bharataśreṣṭha timineva nadīmukham |

قال سنجيا: «يا خيرَ آلِ بهاراتا، إنَّ جيشَ الباندافا—وقد أُحرق وأُرهِق بسطوةِ ابنِ درونا—اضطرب وهاج، كما تُهيِّجُ السمكةُ العظيمةُ المسماةُ تِيمي مصبَّ النهر فتُقلِقُ جريانه.»

चुक्षुभेwas agitated / became turbulent
चुक्षुभे:
TypeVerb
Rootक्षुभ्
FormLiT (Perfect), Atmanepada, 3, Singular
भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas
भरतश्रेष्ठ:
TypeNoun
Rootभरत-श्रेष्ठ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
तिमिनाby a timi (a large fish/whale)
तिमिना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतिमि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
इवlike / as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
नदीमुखम्the river-mouth / river-current (at the mouth)
नदीमुखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनदी-मुख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
B
Bharataśreṣṭha (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
D
Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāmā)
P
Pāṇḍavas (their army)
T
Timi (fish/creature)
N
nadīmukha (river-mouth)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the destabilizing power of concentrated aggression: when a force like Droṇa’s son strikes relentlessly, even a large army can lose cohesion. Ethically, it points to how war magnifies fear and disorder, testing discipline and dharma under extreme pressure.

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Aśvatthāmā’s assault has ‘scorched’ the Pāṇḍava forces, causing widespread commotion—likened to a great fish (Timi) churning the turbulent river-mouth.