Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्‌ सुतुमुले युद्धे वर्तमाने भयावहे

Transliteration

tasmin sutumule yuddhe vartamāne bhayāvahe

Translation

Sañjaya said: As that exceedingly tumultuous battle was unfolding—terrifying in its very nature—

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सुतुमुले: very tumultuous
• सुतुमुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुतुमुल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• युद्धे: in the battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वर्तमाने: while occurring/going on
• वर्तमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: शानच् (present active participle, Ātmanepada usage), Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भयावहे: terrifying
• भयावहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयावह
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• battle (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line foregrounds the moral atmosphere of war: when violence becomes 'sutumula' (overwhelmingly chaotic) and 'bhayāvaha' (fear-producing), dharma is tested not in theory but amid terror and confusion—setting the stage for choices made under extreme pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, the battlefield narrator, marks a transition: he describes that the battle has become intensely tumultuous and frightening, preparing the listener for the ensuing events and actions that occur within this heightened crisis.