Shloka 4

Virāṭa Rescued from Suśarmā; Night Battle and Royal Gratitude (विराटमोक्षणं सुशर्मवधाभिमुखं च)

Devanagari script

तेषां समागमो घोरस्तुमुलो लोमहर्षण: । घ्नतां परस्परं राजन्‌ यमराष्ट्रविवर्धन:,हाथियोंपर चढ़कर उन्हें चलानेमें कुशल श्रेष्ठ महावतोंद्वारा तोमरों और अंकुशोंकी मारसे आगे बढ़ाये हुए भयंकर और मतवाले गजराज दोनों ओरसे एक-दूसरेपर टूट पड़े। परस्पर शस्त्रोंका प्रहार करनेवाले हाथीसवारोंका वह कोलाहलपूर्ण भयंकर युद्ध रोंगटे खड़े कर देनेवाला एवं महासंहारकारी था

Transliteration

teṣāṁ samāgamo ghoras tumulo lomaharṣaṇaḥ | ghnatāṁ parasparaṁ rājan yamarāṣṭravivardhanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: O König, ihr Zusammenprall war grauenvoll—tobend und schaudererregend. Während die Kämpfer im Nahkampf einander niederstreckten, mehrte dieser Zusammenstoß das Reich Yamas; denn es war eine Schlacht, die den Tod mit immer neuen Gefallenen nährte.

Word by Word

तेषाम्of them

समागमःmeeting, encounter

घोरःterrible

तुमुलःuproarious, tumultuous

लोमहर्षणःhair-raising

घ्नताम्of (those) striking/killing

परस्परम्each other, mutually

राजन्O king

यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनःincreasing Yama's realm (death-dealing)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yama

rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)

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 underscores the moral gravity of war: mutual slaughter does not merely decide victory but chiefly enlarges the realm of Death (Yama). It frames battle as a force that multiplies loss, urging reflection on the cost of violence even when undertaken under royal aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

A fierce engagement has begun between opposing forces. The fighting is described as loud, terrifying, and mutually destructive—so deadly that it is poetically said to ‘increase Yama’s kingdom’ by sending many to death.