Shloka 38
Devanagari script
यथौघ: पर्वतश्रेष्ठमासाद्याभिप्रदीर्यते
Transliteration
yathaughaḥ parvataśreṣṭham āsādya abhipradīryate
Translation
Sañjaya said: “Just as a surging flood, on reaching the mightiest of mountains, is shattered and broken apart.”
Word by Word
यथाas, just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
FormAvyaya (comparative particle)
ओघःa flood, torrent, stream
ओघः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootओघ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पर्वतश्रेष्ठम्the best of mountains
पर्वतश्रेष्ठम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपर्वतश्रेष्ठ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आसाद्यhaving reached, having come upon
आसाद्य:
TypeVerb
Rootआ√सद्
FormAbsolutive (Gerund), indeclinable
अभिप्रदीर्यतेis shattered/split apart, breaks up violently
अभिप्रदीर्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-प्र-√दॄ (दीर्यते)
FormPresent tense, Passive (Ātmanepada form), 3rd person, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)प
पर्वतश्रेष्ठ (foremost mountain)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
The verse conveys that overwhelming force can be checked by a steadfast, superior counterforce: like a flood breaking against a great mountain, aggressive momentum in war (or life) may collapse when it meets firm resistance.
Sañjaya uses a vivid simile to describe a combat situation: an advancing force or attack is being halted and shattered upon encountering a powerful, immovable opponent, emphasizing the turning of momentum on the battlefield.