Shloka 18

द्रौपदीश्रमः तथा घटोत्कचस्मरणम्

Draupadī’s Exhaustion and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca

Devanagari script

भृशं चटचटाशब्दो वच्ञाणां क्षिप्पतामिव | ततस्ताश्चज्चलाभास श्रेरुर भ्रेषु विद्युत:,थोड़ी देरमें जब वायुका वेग कुछ कम हुआ और धूल उड़नी बंद हो गयी, उस समय बड़ी भारी जलधारा बरसने लगी। तदनन्तर वज्रपातके समान मेघोंकी गड़गड़ाहट होने लगी और मेघमालाओंमें चारों ओर चंचल चमकवाली बिजलियाँ संचरण करने लगीं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

bhṛśaṃ caṭacaṭāśabdo vajrāṇāṃ kṣippatām iva |

tatas tāś cañcalābhāsāś śrerur bhreṣu vidyutaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “A fierce crackling roar arose, like thunderbolts being hurled. Then, in the masses of clouds, lightning—restless and flashing—darted about on every side.”

Word by Word

भृशम्excessively, greatly

चटचटाशब्दःa crackling sound

वज्राणाम्of thunderbolts

क्षिप्यताम्of (them) being hurled

इवas if, like

ततःthen, thereafter

ताःthose (f.)

चand

चञ्चलाभाःhaving flickering radiance

शेरुःmoved about / coursed / lay (poetically: roamed)

भ्रेषुin the clouds (poetic/rare form)

विद्युतःlightnings

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

vajra (thunderbolt)

megha/bhra (clouds)

vidyut (lightning)

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 primarily functions as narrative atmosphere: nature’s violent sounds and flashing lightning are presented as portent-like imagery, reminding the listener that human affairs unfold under larger cosmic forces and that upheaval in the world can be mirrored by upheaval in the sky.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a storm intensifying: a harsh crackling thunder arises like thunderbolts being thrown, and lightning flickers and darts through the cloud-masses in all directions.