Shloka 40

Devanagari script

शत्रूणां विग्रहे नित्यं भयदास्ता भवन्त्युत । कामरूपधराश्चैव जवे वायुसमास्तथा,युद्ध छिड़ जानेपर वे सदा शत्रुओंके लिये भयदायिनी होती हैं। वे इच्छानुसार रूप धारण करनेवाली तथा वायुके समान वेगशालिनी हैं

Transliteration

śatrūṇāṃ vigrahe nityaṃ bhayadāstā bhavanty uta | kāmarūpadharāś caiva jave vāyusamās tathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “In the clash of battle they ever become a source of terror to the foes. They can assume forms at will, and in speed they are like the wind.”

Word by Word

शत्रूणाम्of enemies

विग्रहेin conflict/battle

नित्यम्always

भयदाःfear-giving, terrifying

ताःthey (those women/ones)

भवन्तिbecome/are

उतand also/indeed

कामरूपधराःassuming forms at will

चand

एवindeed/just

जवेin speed; in swiftness

वायुसमाःequal to the wind (in speed)

तथाthus/likewise

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

enemies (śatravaḥ)

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 how, in war, certain forces become instruments of fear through extraordinary mobility and adaptability—suggesting that tactical advantage often lies in speed and the ability to respond fluidly to changing conditions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a group (spoken of in feminine plural) as terrifying to enemies once battle is joined, emphasizing their shape-shifting capacity and wind-like swiftness as key reasons they inspire dread on the battlefield.