Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 26

Jarāsandha’s Siege of Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma’s Victory, and the Founding of Dvārakā amid Kālayavana’s Threat

Devanagari script

सञ्छिद्यमानद्विपदेभवाजिना- मङ्गप्रसूता: शतशोऽसृगापगा: । भुजाहय: पूरुषशीर्षकच्छपा हतद्विपद्वीपहयग्रहाकुला: ॥ २५ ॥ करोरुमीना नरकेशशैवला धनुस्तरङ्गायुधगुल्मसङ्कुला: । अच्छूरिकावर्तभयानका महा- मणिप्रवेकाभरणाश्मशर्करा: ॥ २६ ॥ प्रवर्तिता भीरुभयावहा मृधे मनस्विनां हर्षकरी: परस्परम् । विनिघ्नतारीन् मुषलेन दुर्मदान् सङ्कर्षणेनापरिमेयतेजसा ॥ २७ ॥ बलं तदङ्गार्णवदुर्गभैरवं दुरन्तपारं मगधेन्द्रपालितम् । क्षयं प्रणीतं वसुदेवपुत्रयो- र्विक्रीडितं तज्जगदीशयो: परम् ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

sañchidyamāna-dvipadebha-vājinām aṅga-prasūtāḥ śataśo ’sṛg-āpagāḥ bhujāhayaḥ pūruṣa-śīrṣa-kacchapā hata-dvipa-dvīpa-haya grahākulāḥ

Translation

In those rivers of blood, hands and thighs seemed like fish, human hair like waterweeds, bows like rolling waves and weapons like tangled thickets. Daggers whirled like fearful eddies, and great jewels and ornaments lay scattered like stones and gravel, as the sanguine flood spread everywhere.

Synonyms

• karoru-mīnāḥ: hands and thighs (like) fishes
• karoru-mīnāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक) + ūru (प्रातिपदिक) + mīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masc. Nom. Pl.); कर्मधारय: करौ ऊरू च एव मीनाः (hands and thighs as fishes)

• nara-keśa-śaivalāḥ: human hair (like) algae
• nara-keśa-śaivalāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + keśa (प्रातिपदिक) + śaivala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masc. Nom. Pl.); कर्मधारय: नरकेशाः एव शैवलाः (human hair as algae)

• dhanus-taraṅga-āyudha-gulma-saṅkulāḥ: crowded with bows as waves and weapons as thickets
• dhanus-taraṅga-āyudha-gulma-saṅkulāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक) + taraṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक) + gulma (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: धनूंषि तरङ्गाः, आयुधानि गुल्माः, तैः सङ्कुलाः (crowded with bows as waves and weapons as thickets); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masc. Nom. Pl.)

• acchūrikā-varta-bhayānakāḥ: terrifying with whirlpools of knives
• acchūrikā-varta-bhayānakāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acchūrikā (प्रातिपदिक) + varta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhayānaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: अच्छूरिकाः एव वर्ताः, तैः भयानकाः (terrifying with eddies of knives/daggers); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masc. Nom. Pl.)

• mahā-maṇi-praveka-ābharaṇa-aśma-śarkarāḥ: great gems, ornaments, stones, and gravel
• mahā-maṇi-praveka-ābharaṇa-aśma-śarkarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + praveka (प्रातिपदिक) + ābharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aśman (प्रातिपदिक) + śarkarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Fem. Nom. Pl.); समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: महान्तः मणयः प्रावेकाः, आभरणानि, अश्मानः, शर्कराश्च (great gems, ornaments, stones, gravel)

Purport

Chariot wheels looked like terrifying whirlpools, and precious gems and ornaments resembled stones and gravel in the rushing red rivers, which aroused fear in the timid, joy in the wise. With the blows of His plow weapon the immeasurably powerful Lord Balarāma destroyed Magadhendra’s military force. And though this force was as unfathomable and fearsome as an impassable ocean, for the two sons of Vasudeva, the Lords of the universe, the battle was hardly more than play.