Shloka 27

Devanagari script

वक्‍त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति देष्टाकरालानि भयानकानि । केचिद्‌ विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु संदृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाड़ै:,वे सभी धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र राजाओंके समुदाय-सहित आपमें प्रवेश कर रहे हैं* और भीष्मपितामह, द्रोणाचार्य" तथा वह कर्ण और हमारे पक्षके भी प्रधान योद्धाओंके सहित सब-के-सब आपके दाढ़ोंके कारण विकराल भयानक मुखोंमें बड़े वेगसे दौड़ते हुए प्रवेश कर रहे हैं और कई एक चूर्ण हुए सिरोंसहित आपके दाँतोंके बीचमें लगे हुए दीख रहे हैं

Transliteration

vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni | kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu saṁdṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna said: “They rush headlong into Your mouths—terrifying, made dreadful by Your fearsome fangs. Some are seen caught between Your teeth, their heads crushed to fragments.”

Word by Word

वक्त्राणिmouths/faces

तेyour

त्वरमाणाःhastening

विशन्तिenter

दंष्ट्रा-करालानिterrible with fangs

भयानकानिfrightful

केचित्some (persons)

विलग्नाःstuck/clinging

दशन-अन्तरेषुbetween the teeth

संदृश्यन्तेare seen/appear

चand

चूर्णितैःwith crushed (ones)

उत्तम-अङ्गैःwith best limbs (i.e., heads/limbs)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Viśvarūpa (the cosmic form addressed as 'You')

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 intensifies the revelation that all beings and outcomes are encompassed by the cosmic order (often understood as Time). It confronts Arjuna with the inevitability of destruction in war, pressing him toward clarity about duty (dharma) rather than personal attachment or fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the vision of the universal form, Arjuna sees multitudes rushing into the Lord’s many mouths. Some are trapped between the teeth, their heads crushed—an image of armies being consumed by the unstoppable force governing the battle’s outcome.