Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तथापरे द्योतमाना ज्योतींषीवामलाम्बरे | प्रादुरासन्‌ महाराज कार्ष्णायसमया गुडा:

Transliteration

tathāpare dyotamānā jyotīṁṣīvāmalāmbare | prādurāsan mahārāja kārṣṇāyasamayā guḍāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Puis, ô grand roi, d’autres formes apparurent, luisantes comme des étoiles dans un ciel sans tache : des masses sombres, d’une teinte de fer, surgies soudain. La scène annonçait un tournant funeste, comme si la nature elle-même donnait des présages au milieu de la violence de la guerre».

Word by Word

तथाthus, likewise

अपरेothers

द्योतमानाshining, radiant

ज्योतींषिlights, luminaries

इवlike, as if

अमल-अम्बरेin the spotless sky

प्रादुरासन्appeared, became manifest

महा-राजO great king

कार्ष्णायस-मयाःmade of black iron

गुडाःballs/lumps (masses)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

jyotīṁṣi (stars/luminaries)

amala-ambara (spotless sky)

kārṣṇāyasa-guḍāḥ (iron-hued masses/balls)

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 underscores how epic narration uses cosmic imagery and ominous manifestations to frame war as not merely human conflict but a moral and fateful crisis, where signs in nature mirror the gravity of adharma and impending destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that additional phenomena appeared on the battlefield—shining like stars against a clear sky—yet described as dark, iron-like masses, suggesting fearful portents accompanying the events of the war.