Shloka 22

Devanagari script

पुरा संरज्यते प्राची पुरा संध्या प्रवर्तते । रौद्रे मुहूर्ते रक्षांसि प्रबलानि भवन्त्युत,उधर सामने पूर्वदेशामें अरुणोदयकी लालिमा फैल रही है। प्रातःसंध्याका समय होनेवाला है। इस रौद्र मुहूर्तमें राक्षस प्रबल हो जाते हैं

Transliteration

purā saṃrajyate prācī purā saṃdhyā pravartate | raudre muhūrte rakṣāṃsi prabalāni bhavanty uta ||

Translation

अर्जुन ने कहा—देखो, पूर्व दिशा में अरुणोदय की लालिमा फैल रही है; प्रातःसंध्या होने को है। इस रौद्र मुहूर्त में राक्षस विशेष रूप से प्रबल हो जाते हैं।

Word by Word

पुराformerly; earlier; at first

संरज्यतेbecomes reddened; is tinged (with red)

प्राचीthe eastern direction; the east

पुराformerly; earlier; at first

संध्याtwilight; dawn/dusk junction-time

प्रवर्ततेsets in; begins; proceeds

रौद्रेin the fierce/terrible (time)

मुहूर्तेin the muhūrta; at the moment/period

रक्षांसिrākṣasas; demons

प्रबलानिstrong; powerful

भवन्तिbecome; are

उतand; also; indeed

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

prācī (the East)

saṃdhyā (dawn twilight)

raudra muhūrta

rakṣasas

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 the ethical importance of recognizing liminal times (saṃdhyā) and their perceived spiritual/strategic consequences: one should act with awareness of time, duty, and the changing balance of forces, rather than with negligence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna observes the approach of dawn—signaled by the reddening east and the onset of morning twilight—and warns that this particular fierce time is believed to favor rākṣasas, implying urgency and caution in the immediate situation.