Shloka 156

Devanagari script

बभूव रजनी घोरा भीरूणां भयवर्धिनी । भरतश्रेष्ठ! युद्धके लिये उन शूरवीरोंके आ पहुँचनेपर वह रात बड़ी भयंकर हो गयी, जो भीरु पुरुषोंके भयको बढ़ानेवाली थी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | babhūva rajanī ghorā bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhinī |

Translation

Sañjaya said: When those heroes arrived, ready for battle, the night turned dreadful—one that magnifies the fear of the timid. Thus does war’s approach darken the mind: courage is tested, and those without steadiness are overwhelmed by terror.

Word by Word

• बभूव: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• रजनी: night
• रजनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• घोरा: terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• भीरूणाम्: of the timid (people)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• भयवर्धिनी: fear-increasing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-वर्धिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bharata-śreṣṭha (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied by the Hindi gloss)
• night (rajanī)
• heroes/warriors (vīrāḥ/śūrāḥ, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

War intensifies inner states: the steadfast must hold courage and discernment, while the timid are consumed by fear. The verse highlights the ethical pressure of kṣatriya life—facing danger without surrendering to panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, as warriors assemble for combat, the night itself feels terrifying—an atmosphere that heightens fear among those lacking bravery.