Shloka 7
Saṃvaraṇa–Tapatī Vivāhaḥ (The Marriage of Saṃvaraṇa and Tapatī) — Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva 163
महाकायो महावेगो दारयन्निव मेदिनीम् | लोहिताक्ष: करालश्न लोहितश्मश्रुमूर्थज:
mahākāyo mahāvego dārayann iva medinīm | lohitākṣaḥ karālaś ca lohitaśmaśrumūrdhajaḥ ||
Tubuhnya raksasa dan geraknya amat cepat, seakan hendak membelah bumi. Matanya memerah karena amarah; rupanya mengerikan. Janggut, kumis, dan rambut di kepalanya semuanya berwarna kemerahan—tanda sifat liar yang menakutkan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward signs—speed, size, red eyes, and a terrifying look—can signal inner agitation such as anger. In Mahābhārata’s ethical world, uncontrolled wrath is a dangerous force that can disturb social order and lead to harm, so such descriptions function as moral warning as well as narrative color.
The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) is vividly describing a formidable figure approaching or moving with immense force. The imagery—‘as if splitting the earth’ and ‘red-eyed’—builds suspense and conveys the character’s ferocity and the fear he inspires.