Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सुखशीतानिलवहं प्रकृतिस्थार्कमण्डलम्‌ । निष्प्रतीकारद्ृष्टश्न हुतभुग्‌ विविधाकृति:,सुखदायिनी शीतल हवा चलने लगी। सूर्यमण्डल स्वाभाविक स्थितिमें दिखायी देने लगा। अग्निदेव प्रतीकारशून्य होनेके कारण बहुत प्रसन्न हुए और अनेक रूपोंमें प्रकट हो प्राणियोंके शरीरसे निकली हुई वसाके समूहसे अभिषिक्त होकर बड़ी-बड़ी लपटोंके साथ प्रजजलित हो उठे। उस समय अपनी आवाजसे वे सम्पूर्ण जगत्‌को व्याप्त कर रहे थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | sukhaśītānilavahaṃ prakṛtisthārkamaṇḍalam | niṣpratīkāradṛṣṭaś ca hutabhug vividhākṛtiḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: A pleasant, cool breeze began to blow, and the circle of the sun appeared restored to its natural state. Agni, seeing no opposition, became greatly delighted; assuming many forms, he blazed up with vast tongues of flame, as though anointed by the masses of fat drawn from living bodies, and with his roaring sound he seemed to pervade the entire world. The scene underscores how unchecked destructive power, when unrestrained by counterforce, can expand rapidly and overwhelm all beings.

Word by Word

सुखcomfort, pleasantness

शीतcool, cold

अनिलwind

वहम्carrying, bearing

सुखशीतानिलवहम्bearing pleasant cool wind

प्रकृतिnatural state

स्थstanding, abiding

अर्कsun

मण्डलम्orb, disk

अर्कमण्डलम्the sun’s orb

प्रकृतिस्थार्कमण्डलम्the sun’s orb abiding in its natural state

निःwithout

प्रतीकारcounteraction, remedy, resistance

दृष्टseen, perceived

अश्नuncertain (text corrupt/unclear)

निष्प्रतीकारदृष्टश्नone for whom no counteraction was seen (reading uncertain)

हुतभुक्Fire (consumer of offerings)

विविधvarious

आकृतिःform, shape

विविधाकृतिःof many forms

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Agni (Hutabhuj)

Sūrya (Arka-maṇḍala)

cool wind (śītānila)

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 highlights that when destructive force meets no restraint (niṣpratīkāra), it multiplies and spreads, threatening the whole world. Ethically, it implies the necessity of timely countermeasures and responsible containment of power to protect beings and uphold order.

What is happening in the narrative?

A cool, pleasant wind arises and the sun appears normal again; simultaneously Agni, perceiving no resistance, becomes exuberant, manifests in many forms, and flares up with immense flames and a world-filling roar—depicting an overwhelming conflagration.