Shloka 23
Devanagari script
तत् सागरमिवोद्धूतं रजसा संवृतं बलम्
Transliteration
tat sāgaram ivoddhūtaṁ rajasā saṁvṛtaṁ balam
Translation
サンジャヤは言った。その軍は、かき乱された大海のごとく騒ぎ立ち、土煙の雲に覆われて、混乱のうちにうねり寄せた――それは戦の道義的盲目の象徴であり、むき出しの力と錯綜が、正法（ダルマ）を見分ける澄んだ眼をしばし覆い隠すのである。
Word by Word
तत्that (army/force)
तत्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
सागरम्ocean
सागरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसागर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
इवlike/as
इव:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
उद्धूतम्stirred up, agitated
उद्धूतम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootउद्-√धू (धातु) → उद्धूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
रजसाby dust
रजसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootरजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
संवृतम्covered, enveloped
संवृतम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-√वृ (धातु) → संवृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
बलम्army, force
बलम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)ब
बल (army/host)स
सागर (ocean)र
रजस् (dust)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
The verse highlights how warfare generates turbulence and obscuration: like an ocean in upheaval, the army becomes a mass of agitated power, and dust hides clarity—suggesting that in violent conflict moral and practical discernment can be easily clouded.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the forces on the battlefield are in intense motion; the host is violently stirred and wrapped in dust, indicating a fierce clash and the confusion of close combat.