Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तथैवोरगसड्घाता: पाण्डवस्य समीपत: । उत्सृजन्तो विषं घोर निपेतुज्वलितानना:,इसी प्रकार प्रज्वलित मुखवाले नागोंके समुदाय भी पाण्डव अर्जुनके समीप भयानक जहर उगलते हुए उनकी ओर टूट पड़े

Transliteration

tathaivoragasaṅghātāḥ pāṇḍavasya samīpataḥ | utsṛjanto viṣaṃ ghoraṃ nipetuḥ jvalitānanāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Just so, a mass of serpents with blazing mouths rushed down upon the Pāṇḍava from close range, spewing forth dreadful poison.” The scene underscores how sudden, collective violence—driven by blind hostility—can surround even the righteous, testing steadiness and discernment amid peril.

Word by Word

तथाthus, in the same way

एवindeed, just

उरग-सङ्घाताःmasses/groups of serpents

पाण्डवस्यof the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

समीपतःnear, in the vicinity of

उत्सृजन्तःemitting, spewing forth

विषम्poison

घोरम्terrible, dreadful

निपेतुःfell upon, rushed down/attacked

ज्वलित-आननाःhaving blazing mouths/faces

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

uragāḥ (serpents)

viṣa (poison)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how danger can arise suddenly and collectively, even against a dharmic hero; it points to the ethical need for steadiness, vigilance, and disciplined response rather than panic or retaliatory cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

A cluster of serpents, described as having flaming mouths, rushes toward the Pāṇḍava (understood here as Arjuna) from close range while emitting terrifying poison, intensifying the immediate threat around him.