Mahabharata 7.198.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 198, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भारत! पर्वतोंके शिखर टूट-टूटकर गिरने लगे। हरिणोंके झुंड पाण्डव-सेनाको अपने दायें करके चले गये ।।

Transliteration

tamasa cāvakīryanta sūryaś ca kaluṣo 'bhavat | sampatanti ca bhūtāni kravyādāni prahṛṣṭavat ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, kegelapan menutupi segala penjuru; matahari pun tampak redup dan ternoda. Makhluk-makhluk pemakan daging berlarian ke sana kemari seolah bersukacita.”

Word by Word

• तमसा: with darkness
• तमसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अवकीर्यन्त: were being scattered/covered over
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कीर्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• सूर्यः: the sun
• सूर्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कलुषः: turbid, sullied
• कलुषः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सम्पतन्ति: rush/fall upon, swoop down
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√पत्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भूतानि: creatures, beings
• भूतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• क्रव्यादानि: flesh-eaters (carnivores)
• क्रव्यादानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रव्याद
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• प्रहृष्टवत्: as if delighted
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रहृष्टवत्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• Sūrya (the Sun)
• Kravyāda-bhūtāni (carnivorous creatures)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys that large-scale violence and adharma are mirrored by ominous disturbances in nature—darkness, a dimmed sun, and predatory creatures becoming active—signaling moral disorder and impending calamity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports battlefield portents to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: darkness spreads, the sun looks sullied, and flesh-eating creatures rush about as if pleased—an inauspicious atmosphere surrounding the ongoing conflict.