Shloka 19

Devanagari script

व्यक्त किष्कुपरीणाहं द्वादशारत्निकार्मुकम्‌ । रथाक्षमात्रैरिषुभि: सर्वा: प्रच्छादयन्‌ दिश:

Transliteration

vyakta-kiṣku-parīṇāhaṁ dvādaśa-ratnikārmukam | rathākṣa-mātrair iṣubhiḥ sarvāḥ pracchādayan diśaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: «Mit einem Bogen von sichtbar mächtigem Umfang, zwölf Ratni lang, ließ er Pfeile regnen, so lang wie die Achse eines Streitwagens, und verhüllte alle Himmelsrichtungen. In jenem Augenblick verengte sich der Horizont des Dharma auf dem Schlachtfeld: ungezügelte Kriegskraft, ohne Maß zur Schau gestellt, ließ jede Richtung bedeckt und unausweichlich erscheinen.»

Word by Word

व्यक्तclearly manifest

किष्कुपरीणाहम्having a circumference of a kisku (measure)

द्वादशारत्निtwelve-forearm-length (twelve cubits)

कार्मुकम्bow

रथाक्षमात्रैःwith (arrows) of chariot-axle measure

इषुभिःwith arrows

सर्वाःall

प्रच्छादयन्covering, veiling

दिशःdirections, quarters

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

क

कर्मुक (bow)

इ

इषु (arrows)

र

रथाक्ष (chariot axle)

द

दिशः (the directions/quarters)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming force can dominate perception and space—“covering the directions”—suggesting that in war, displays of power can eclipse discernment and compress moral choice, even when the narrator remains a witness rather than a judge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior unleashing a tremendous volley: a massive bow (twelve ratnis long) and arrows compared in length to a chariot’s axle, so dense that they seem to blanket all quarters of the battlefield.