Shloka 20

Devanagari script

रक्षांसि च पिशाचाश्न विनेदुरतिसड्रता: । ववुश्चवाशिशिरा वाता: सूर्यो नैव तताप च,राक्षत और पिशाच परस्पर मिलकर जोर-जोरसे गर्जना करने लगे, गरम हवा चलने लगी और सूर्यका ताप क्षीण हो गया

Transliteration

rakṣāṃsi ca piśācāś ca vinedur ati-saṃrabdhāḥ | vavuś ca vāyavaḥ śiśirāḥ sūryo naiva tatāpa ca ||

Translation

サञ्जयは語った。「羅刹とピシャーチャは激しい動揺に駆られ、声高く吠え、轟くように咆哮し始めた。冷たい風が吹き、太陽でさえ熱を失ったかのようであった。」この詩句は、戦が不吉な転機へと傾く徴を告げる――自然と目に見えぬ力が、戦場の道義と感情の乱れを映し、さらなる暴虐と混乱の高まりを予兆するのである。

Word by Word

रक्षांसिrakshasas (demons)

चand

पिशाचाःpiśācas (ghouls)

विनेदुःroared, made a loud sound

अतिसङ्घ्रताःvery close together / in a dense cluster

ववुःblew

चand

अशिशिराःnot cool, warm/hot

वाताःwinds

सूर्यःthe sun

नnot

एवindeed, at all

ततापshone/burned (gave heat)

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

rākṣasas

piśācas

wind

sun

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When violence and moral confusion intensify, the epic often depicts nature itself as reflecting that imbalance. The imagery of ghouls roaring, cold winds, and a weakened sun underscores the ethical darkness surrounding the battle and warns of escalating destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports ominous battlefield portents: rākṣasas and piśācas cry out in frenzy, cold winds arise, and the sun’s heat diminishes—signs that the conflict is entering a more dreadful and chaotic phase.