Shloka 583

Devanagari script

नद्यश्न सुमहावेगा: प्रतिस्रोतोवहा भवन्‌ । नृपश्रेष्ठी तालाबों और कूपोंमें रक्तका उफान आने लगा और महान्‌ वेगशालिनी नदियाँ उलटी अपने उद्गमकी ओर बहने लगीं

Transliteration

nadyas tu sumahāvegāḥ pratisrotovahā bhavan |

Translation

王の中の王よ、かつて激しく奔流していた河は自らの流れに逆らい、源へと引き返して流れた。さらに池や井戸には血が湧き上がり、波立った。

Word by Word

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सुमहा-वेगाः: of very great speed/force
• सुमहा-वेगाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहावेग
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रतिस्रोतः-वहाः: flowing against the current
• प्रतिस्रोतः-वहाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिस्रोतवह
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्: became / were
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• rivers
• ponds
• wells
• blood

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When adharma intensifies—especially through mass violence—its effects are portrayed as cosmic: the natural order itself seems to invert. The verse uses ominous signs to underscore ethical collapse and the inevitability of consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva reports terrifying portents: rivers reverse their flow and water sources appear to surge with blood. These are presented as war-omens indicating imminent catastrophe and the world’s disturbance during the Kurukṣetra conflict.