Shloka 356

Devanagari script

रक्षसां घोररूपाणां महत्या सेनया वृत:ः । वह तत्काल ही शूल, मुद्गर, शिलाखण्ड और वृक्ष हाथमें लिये हुए घोररूपधारी राक्षसोंकी विशाल सेनासे घिर गया

Transliteration

rakṣasāṃ ghorarūpāṇāṃ mahatyā senayā vṛtaḥ | sa tatkālaṃ hi śūla-mudgara-śilākhaṇḍa-vṛkṣa-hastaiḥ ghorarūpadhāri-rākṣasaiḥ viśālena sainyena parivṛto 'bhavat |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : À cet instant, il se vit encerclé par une immense troupe de rākṣasas au visage effroyable, tenant en main des lances, des massues, des blocs de pierre et des arbres arrachés avec leurs racines. La scène montre comment, dans la guerre, la force brute et le spectacle de la terreur peuvent se refermer soudainement, éprouvant la constance et le discernement du guerrier au cœur du tumulte.

Word by Word

रक्षसाम्of the rakshasas

घोररूपाणाम्of terrible-formed (ones)

महत्याby/with a great

सेनयाarmy

वृतःsurrounded

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Rākṣasas

śūla (spear)

mudgara (mace)

śilākhaṇḍa (boulder/rock fragment)

vṛkṣa (tree used as a weapon)

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 warfare amplifies fear and confusion through overwhelming force; the ethical test is to maintain steadiness, judgment, and duty-conscious action even when surrounded by terrifying opponents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior being encircled by a huge contingent of fearsome rākṣasas carrying crude but devastating weapons—spears, maces, rocks, and uprooted trees—signaling an intense and dangerous turn in the battle.