Shloka 38

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

Devanagari script

रात्रियुद्धे महाघोरे वर्तमाने सुदारुणे

Transliteration

rātriyuddhe mahāghore vartamāne sudāruṇe

Translation

Sañjaya said: “When the night-battle was underway—most dreadful and exceedingly cruel—…”

Word by Word

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

• महा-घोरे: in the very terrible (one)
• महा-घोरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् + घोर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वर्तमाने: while (it was) going on / occurring
• वर्तमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सु-दरुणे: in the very cruel/harsh (one)
• सु-दरुणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दरुण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line frames the ethical atmosphere of the episode: warfare conducted at night is presented as exceptionally dreadful and harsh, signaling a descent into more terrifying, less restrained modes of conflict and inviting reflection on how conditions of war can erode dharmic limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya sets the scene for the next events by stating that a fierce and brutal battle is taking place at night; the verse functions as a narrative transition emphasizing the intensity and ominous character of the ongoing combat.