Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स सर्व क्षत्रमुत्साद्य स्ववीर्येणानलद्युति: । समनतपजञ्चके पञ्च चकार रौधिरान्‌ हृदान्‌,अग्निके समान तेजस्वी परशुरामजीने अपने पराक्रमसे सम्पूर्ण क्षत्रियवंशका संहार करके समन्तपंचवक्षेत्रमें रक्तके पाँच सरोवर बना दिये

Transliteration

sa sarva-kṣatram utsādya sva-vīryeṇānaladyutiḥ | samantapañcake pañca cakāra raudhirān hradān ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having exterminated the entire warrior nobility (the Kṣatriya class) by his own prowess, Paraśurāma—radiant like fire—created at Samantapañcaka five lakes filled with blood.

Word by Word

सःhe

सर्वम्entire, all

क्षत्रम्the Kshatriya class

उत्साद्यhaving exterminated

स्ववीर्येणby his own prowess

अनलद्युतिḥhe whose splendor is like fire

समन्तपञ्चकेin Samantapañcaka (the field/region)

पञ्चfive

चकारmade, created

रौधिरान्bloody, filled with blood

ह्रदान्lakes, pools

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Paraśurāma

Kṣatriyas

Samantapañcaka

five blood-filled lakes (raudhirāḥ hradāḥ)

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 the ethical danger of wrath-driven power: even a mighty, radiant hero can commit acts whose scale and symbolism (blood-filled lakes) warn of the destructive consequences of vengeance and the erosion of dharma when violence becomes total.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya recounts Paraśurāma’s legendary campaign in which he annihilates the Kṣatriyas; afterward, at Samantapañcaka, he is said to have formed five lakes of blood—an image emphasizing the enormity of the slaughter.