Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तद्‌ दृष्ट्वा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य घोरं कर्म भयावहम्‌

Transliteration

tad dṛṣṭvā rākṣasendrasya ghoraṃ karma bhayāvaham

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing that dreadful, fear-inspiring deed of the lord of the Rākṣasas, the onlookers were struck with alarm at the terrible course the battle had taken.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (deed/act)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Non-finite

• राक्षसेन्द्रस्य: of the lord of the Rakshasas
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्म: deed, act
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भयावहम्: bringing fear, fearsome
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयावह
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• rākṣasendra (lord/king of the Rākṣasas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how horrific actions in war generate fear and moral unease; even when narrated neutrally, the language marks such deeds as ghora (dreadful) and bhayāvaha (fear-producing), implicitly warning that violence escalates suffering and destabilizes dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, reporting events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes the reaction to a terrifying act performed by a powerful Rākṣasa leader on the battlefield, emphasizing its dreadful and fearsome impact on those who witnessed it.