Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सातां मायां भस्म कृत्वा ज्वलन्ती भित्त्वा गाढं हृदयं राक्षसस्य । ऊर्ध्व ययौ दीप्यमाना निशायां नक्षत्राणामन्तराण्याविवेश,वह प्रज्वलित शक्ति राक्षस घटोत्कचकी उस मायाको भस्म करके उसके वक्ष:स्थलको गहराईतक चीरकर रात्रिके समय प्रकाशित होती हुई ऊपरको चली गयी और नक्षत्रोंमें जाकर विलीन हो गयी

Transliteration

saṭāṁ māyāṁ bhasma kṛtvā jvalantī bhittvā gāḍhaṁ hṛdayaṁ rākṣasasya | ūrdhvaṁ yayau dīpyamānā niśāyāṁ nakṣatrāṇām antarāṇy āviveśa ||

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。燃えさかるシャクティは羅刹の幻術を灰と化し、さらにその胸奥、心臓を深く貫いた。やがてそれは夜に輝きながら天へと昇り、星々のあいだの空隙へ溶け入るように消え去った。

Word by Word

साताम्sevenfold / of seven (as qualifying māyā)

मायाम्illusion, magical power

भस्मashes

कृत्वाhaving made

ज्वलन्तीblazing

भित्त्वाhaving pierced/split

गाढम्deeply, firmly

हृदयम्heart

राक्षसस्यof the rākṣasa (demon)

ऊर्ध्वम्upwards

ययौwent

दीप्यमानाshining, blazing

निशायाम्in the night

नक्षत्राणाम्of the stars

अन्तराणिthe intervals/spaces (between)

आविवेशentered, disappeared into

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

rākṣasa (Ghaṭotkaca implied by the Hindi gloss)

śakti (the blazing spear/weapon)

māyā (illusion)

nakṣatrāṇi (stars)

niśā (night)

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 the limits of māyā (magical deception) in the face of decisive karmic and martial outcomes: in war, power and illusion can be abruptly nullified, and actions culminate in irreversible consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a blazing spear (śakti) that burns away the rākṣasa’s illusion, pierces deep into his heart, then rises into the night sky and disappears among the stars—signaling the rākṣasa’s fatal defeat (identified in the accompanying gloss as Ghaṭotkaca).