Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तस्यास्यान्नासिका भ्यां च श्रवणाभ्यां च सर्वश:ः । तेभ्यश्वाक्षिसहस्रेभ्य: प्रादुरासन्‌ महार्चिष:,उसके मुखसे, दोनों नासिकाओंसे, कानोंसे और हजारों नेत्रोंस भी सब ओर आगकी बड़ी-बड़ी लपटें निकल रही थीं

Transliteration

tasyāsyān nāsikābhyāṃ ca śravaṇābhyāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | tebhyaś cākṣi-sahasrebhyaḥ prādurāsan mahārcīṃṣi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: From its mouth, from both nostrils, and from both ears—on every side—and from those thousands of eyes, great blazing flames burst forth.

Word by Word

तस्यof him

आस्यात्from (his) mouth

नासिकाभ्याम्from the two nostrils

चand

श्रवणाभ्याम्from the two ears

चand

सर्वशःon all sides; entirely

तेभ्यःfrom them

चand

अक्षि-सहस्रेभ्यःfrom the thousands of eyes

प्रादुरासन्appeared; came forth

महा-अर्चिषःgreat flames (bright tongues of fire)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

mouth

nostrils

ears

thousands of eyes

flames/fire

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 underscores how adharma-driven violence is portrayed as unleashing a dreadful, consuming force. The imagery of fire erupting from every sense-organ suggests rage and destruction spreading beyond control, warning that cruelty in war deforms the moral world and invites terrifying consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fearsome manifestation: flames burst from the mouth, nostrils, ears, and from thousands of eyes of a terrifying form. This functions as a vivid omen-like depiction within the Sauptika episode, intensifying the horror of the nocturnal slaughter.