Shloka 53

भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103

Devanagari script

परस्परमवेक्षेतां कालानलसमौ युधि । तयो: समागमो घोरो बभूव कटुकोदय:

Transliteration

parasparam avekṣetāṃ kālānalasamau yudhi | tayoḥ samāgamo ghoro babhūva kaṭukodayaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: In the midst of battle, the two kept looking at one another, like Death and the all-consuming fire. Their meeting was dreadful, and it rose like a bitter, ominous turning-point—foretelling harsh consequences born of war’s fury.

Word by Word

• परस्परम्: mutually, each other
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial)

• अवेक्षेताम्: the two looked at
• अवेक्षेताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-ईक्ष्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, dual, parasmaipada

• कालानलसमौ: equal to the fire of Time (like the fire at dissolution)
• कालानलसमौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालानल-सम
• Form: Masculine, nominative, dual

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्
• Form: Feminine, locative, singular

• तयोः: of those two
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, genitive, dual

• समागमः: encounter, meeting
• समागमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• घोरः: terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• बभूव: became, was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada

• कटुक-उदयः: having a bitter outcome / bitter in its result
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटुक-उदय
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• the two warriors (unnamed in this verse)
• Kāla (Death/Time, personified)
• Anala (Fire, personified)