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Shloka 21

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

ततः समभवद्‌ युद्ध संध्यायामतिदारुणम्‌

tataḥ samabhavad yuddhaṃ sandhyāyām atidāruṇam

Sañjaya sagte: Dann, in der Dämmerung, erhob sich eine Schlacht—überaus grauenvoll—und kündete eine düstere Wendung an: Die Gewalt des Tages ging in eine noch gefährlichere Stunde über, in der das Licht schwindet und die Wut anschwillt, und beides zusammen die moralischen und menschlichen Kosten des Krieges vertieft.

ततःthen; thereafter
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततस्
FormAvyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')
समभवत्arose; happened; came to be
समभवत्:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
Formलङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्
युद्धम्battle; fighting
युद्धम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
संध्यायाम्at twilight; in the evening
संध्यायाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसंध्या
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
अतिदारुणम्exceedingly dreadful; very terrible
अतिदारुणम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअतिदारुण
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (युद्धम् इति विशेषणम्)

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
Y
yuddha (battle)
S
sandhyā (twilight)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores how war escalates beyond control: even the liminal time of twilight becomes a stage for intensified cruelty, inviting reflection on the ethical degradation and suffering that prolonged conflict produces.

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, as evening approached, a fierce and terrifying engagement broke out, marking a particularly grim phase of the fighting.