Shloka 17
Devanagari script
प्रकीर्णपर्णानि यथा वसन्ते विशातयित्वा पवनोअथ्बुदांश्ष
Transliteration
prakīrṇaparṇāni yathā vasante viśātayitvā pavano 'thbudāṁśṣ
Translation
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wie im Frühling der Wind das gefallene Laub zerstreut und zerfetzt, so werden auch hier die Dinge von einer mächtigen Kraft umhergetrieben und zerschlagen.“
Word by Word
प्रकीर्णपर्णानिscattered leaves
प्रकीर्णपर्णानि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootप्रकीर्णपर्ण (प्रकीर्ण + पर्ण)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
यथाas, just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
वसन्तेin spring
वसन्ते:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवसन्त
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
विशातयित्वाhaving scattered/strewn about
विशातयित्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootशातय् (शातयति)
FormAbsolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (causative sense), Non-finite
पवनःthe wind
पवनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपवन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अथthen, and
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
बुदांश्षrays/gleams (lit. portions of light)
बुदांश्ष:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootबुदांशु (बुद + अंशु)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VaiśampāyanaW
wind (pavana)L
leaves (parṇa)S
spring (vasanta)C
clouds (ambuda)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 uses a nature-simile to highlight how quickly circumstances can be scattered and disrupted by stronger forces; ethically, it encourages composure, vigilance, and adherence to dharma even when events turn suddenly.
Vaiśampāyana narrates with a vivid comparison—wind shredding scattered leaves in spring—to describe a situation of rapid dispersal or upheaval, setting the tone for swift changes in the unfolding events.