Shloka 15

सदण्डशूला दीप्ताग्रा: शीर्यमाणा: समन्ततः । उल्का भूमिं दिव: पेतुराहत्य रविमण्डलम्‌,आकाशसे बहुत-सी उल्काएँ सूर्यमण्डलसे टकराकर पृथ्वीपर गिरने लगीं। उनके साथ दण्डयुक्त शूल भी गिर रहे थे। उन उल्काओंके अग्रभाग अपनी दीप्तिसे दमक रहे थे। वे सब-की-सब चारों ओर बिखरी पड़ती थीं

sadaṇḍaśūlā dīptāgrāḥ śīryamāṇāḥ samantataḥ | ulkā bhūmiṃ divaḥ petur āhatya ravimaṇḍalam ||

Sañjaya said: Meteors, their tips blazing, fell from the sky to the earth, as though striking the orb of the sun. Shattering and scattering in every direction, they rained down together with spear-like shafts and staff-armed spikes.

सदण्डशूलाःhaving spears with staffs (staffed spears)
सदण्डशूलाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootस-दण्ड-शूल
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
दीप्ताग्राःhaving blazing tips
दीप्ताग्राः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदीप्त-अग्र
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
शीर्यमाणाःfalling down / dropping
शीर्यमाणाः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootशीॄ (शीर्ण/शीर्य)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural, Present (Vartamana), Atmanepada (Passive sense), शानच् (present passive participle)
समन्ततःon all sides, everywhere
समन्ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसमन्ततः
उल्काःmeteors / firebrands
उल्काः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootउल्का
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
भूमिम्the earth (ground)
भूमिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभूमि
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
दिवःfrom the sky/heaven
दिवः:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootदिव्/द्यौ (दिव्)
FormFeminine, Ablative, Singular
पेतुःfell
पेतुः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootपत्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
आहत्यhaving struck / after striking
आहत्य:
Karana
TypeVerb
Rootआ-हन्
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)
रविमण्डलम्the sun’s disk/orb
रविमण्डलम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरवि-मण्डल
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
U
ulkāḥ (meteors)
R
ravimaṇḍala (sun’s orb)
B
bhūmi (earth)
D
div (sky/heaven)
D
daṇḍa-śūla (staff-armed spikes/spear-like forms)

Educational Q&A

The verse functions as an omen: when human conduct descends into large-scale violence and adharma, the epic frames the world itself as reflecting that rupture. It is less a doctrinal instruction than an ethical atmosphere—nature’s terrifying signs underscore the gravity of the war’s moral collapse.

Sañjaya reports dreadful portents: meteors with blazing tips fall from the sky to the earth, seeming to strike the sun’s orb, then shatter and scatter in all directions, appearing like weapon-shapes (staff-armed spikes/spears).