Shloka 15

चतुश्चत्वारिंशः सर्गः (Sarga 44): निशायुद्धम्, धूलिरुधिरप्रवाहः, इन्द्रजितो मायायुद्धम्

Devanagari script

हतैर्वानरवीरैश्चशक्तिशूलपरश्वधैः ।।6.44.14।।निहतैःपर्वताकारैराक्षसैःकामरूपिभिः ।शस्त्रपुष्पोपहाराचतत्रासीद्युद्धमेदिनी ।।6.44.15।।दुर् ज्ञेयादुर्निवेशाचशोणितास्रावकर्दमा ।

Transliteration

hatair vānaravīraiś ca śaktiśūlaparaśvadhaiḥ ||6.44.14||

nihataiḥ parvatākārair rākṣasaiḥ kāmarūpibhiḥ |

śastrapuṣpopahārā ca tatrāsīd yuddhamedīnī ||6.44.15||

durjñeyā durniveśā ca śoṇitāsrāvakardamā |

Translation

El campo de batalla quedó cubierto de héroes vānara abatidos y de rākṣasas cambiaformas, caídos como montañas. Allí la tierra de la guerra parecía recibir una ofrenda de “flores de armas”, y se volvió difícil de reconocer y de cruzar, convertida en un lodazal de sangre.

Word by Word

साthat (night)

बभूवbecame, was

निशाnight

घोराterrible

हरिराक्षसहारिणीdestroying Vanaras and Rakshasas

कालरात्रीthe night of doom

इवlike

भूतानाम्of beings

सर्वेषाम्of all

दुरतिक्रमाhard to cross

Context

There with warriors of Vanaras wounded by javelins, tridents and axes, and the Rakshasas of mountain size who could change their form at will, the battlefield was muddy, and wet with blood flowing and difficult to reach.

Characters & Entities

Vānara warriors

Rākṣasa warriors

Śakti (javelin)

Śūla (trident)

Paraśvadha (axe)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The repetition itself reinforces the ethical emphasis: war’s aftermath is not romanticized; dharma demands remembering consequences and preventing violence from becoming self-justifying.

What is the narrative situation?

A recensional duplication reiterates the battlefield’s condition—strewn with the dead and made impassable by blood and debris.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reflective awareness: the epic presses the listener to contemplate suffering as part of ethical judgment.