Shloka 36
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
Devanagari script
अथ काले व्यतिक्रान्ते महत्यतिभयंकरे
Transliteration
atha kāle vyatikrānte mahātyatibhayaṃkare
Translation
ثم لما انقضى ذلك الوقت—ساعةٌ من فزعٍ عظيمٍ واستثنائي—انعطف السرد إلى ما تلا، بعد أن مضت ذروة الرهبة وانتهى مداها.
Word by Word
अथthen, now
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
कालेin/at the time
काले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकाल
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
व्यतिक्रान्तेhaving passed/elapsed
व्यतिक्रान्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootवि+अति+क्रम्
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Locative, Singular
महतिin a great (state/occasion)
महति:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत्
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
अतिभयंकरेin (something) extremely terrifying
अतिभयंकरे:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootअति-भयङ्कर
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
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
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical realism: even the most terrifying crises are bounded by time. Recognizing that dreadful phases pass encourages steadiness (dhairya) and clear judgment rather than panic-driven action.
Vaiśampāyana marks a transition: a particularly dreadful period in the battle narrative has elapsed, and the story is about to describe the subsequent developments after that peak of fear.