Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रविश्य तद्‌ वन॑ घोरं वीक्षमाणा: समन्ततः । शाखासहस्रसंछन्न॑ न्यग्रोध॑ ददृशुस्तत:,उस भयंकर वनमें प्रवेश करके सब ओर दृष्टि डालनेपर उन्हें सहस्नों शाखाओंसे आच्छादित एक बरगदका वृक्ष दिखायी दिया

Transliteration

praviśya tad vanaṃ ghoraṃ vīkṣamāṇāḥ samantataḥ | śākhāsahasrasaṃchannaṃ nyagrodhaṃ dadṛśus tataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sagte: Als sie in jenen schaurigen Wald eindrangen und ringsum blickten, erblickten sie einen Nyagrodha (Banyanbaum), dessen gewaltige Ausbreitung unter Tausenden von Ästen verborgen lag—ein unheilvolles Wahrzeichen in der Dunkelheit ihres kriegsgeborenen Vorhabens.

Word by Word

प्रविश्यhaving entered

तत्that

वनम्forest

घोरम्terrible, dreadful

वीक्षमाणाःlooking, observing

समन्ततःon all sides, all around

शाखा-सहस्र-संछन्नम्covered with a thousand branches

न्यग्रोधम्a banyan tree

ददृशुःthey saw

ततःthen, thereupon

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

ghora vana (dreadful forest)

nyagrodha (banyan tree)

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 primarily sets an ominous atmosphere: the fearful forest and the massive banyan function as narrative symbols of concealment and impending harm, underscoring how war can lead minds into darkness and morally perilous choices.

What is happening in the narrative?

After entering a terrifying forest and surveying it in all directions, the group sees a banyan tree covered by innumerable branches—marking a significant spot as the night’s grim events are about to unfold.