Shloka 433

Śiva’s Battlefield Manifestation and Vyāsa’s Śatarudrīya Exposition (शिवप्रादुर्भावः शतरुद्रीयव्याख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

सम्भ्रान्ता: पर्यधावन्त तस्मिंस्तमसि दारुणे | कुछ लोग अपने वाहनोंको समरांगणमें ही छोड़कर भाग चले। दूसरे लोग उन्हें तेजीसे हॉँकते हुए भागे और कितने ही सैनिक भ्रान्त होकर उस दारुण अन्धकारमें चारों ओर चक्कर काटते रहे

Transliteration

sambhrāntāḥ paryadhāvanta tasmiṃs tamasi dāruṇe |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Dans cette obscurité terrible, les guerriers, saisis de panique et de confusion, couraient en tous sens. Les uns abandonnèrent chars et montures sur le champ de bataille et s’enfuirent ; d’autres lancèrent leurs véhicules à toute vitesse pour se sauver ; et beaucoup, égarés, tournaient en rond sans but dans la nuit sinistre—montrant comment la peur peut dissoudre discipline et ordre à la guerre.

Word by Word

सम्भ्रान्ताःconfused, bewildered

पर्यधावन्तran about, rushed around

तस्मिन्in that

तमसिin darkness

दारुणेterrible, dreadful

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

darkness (tamas)

battlefield (implied)

vehicles/chariots (implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how tamas—darkness and confusion—can overtake even trained warriors, causing loss of self-control and abandonment of duty. Ethically, it underscores the need for steadiness (dhairya) and clarity of mind in crisis, since fear can quickly erode discipline and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment on the battlefield when a dreadful darkness spreads. Soldiers become disoriented: some leave their vehicles behind and flee, others drive away in haste, and many run in circles, unable to find direction.