Shloka 14

Devanagari script

उदपानगताशक्षापो व्यवर्धन्त समन्तत:ः । अशरीरा महानादा: श्रूयन्ते सम तदा नूप,नरेश्वर! कुओंके जल सब ओरसे अपने-आप बढ़ने लगे और बिना शरीरके ही जोर- जोरसे गर्जनाएँ सुनायी दे रही थीं

Transliteration

udapānagatāḥ śaṣkāpo vyavardhanta samantataḥ | aśarīrā mahānādāḥ śrūyante sma tadā nṛpa naraśreṣṭha ||

Translation

ನರೇಶ್ವರ! ಆ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾವಿಗಳ ನೀರು ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ತನ್ನಂತಟ ತಾನೇ ಏರತೊಡಗಿತು; ದೇಹವೇ ಕಾಣದೆ ಮಹಾನಾದಗಳು ಕೇಳಿಬಂದವು.

Word by Word

उदपानगताःhaving gone into the wells / situated in wells

अक्षापःwaters (well-waters)

व्यवर्धन्तincreased, grew

समन्ततःon all sides, everywhere

अशरीराःbodiless

महानादाःgreat roars / loud sounds

श्रूयन्तेwere heard / are heard

समेin the level (ground/place)

तदाthen, at that time

नृपO king

नरेश्वरO lord of men

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)

udapāna (wells)

āpaḥ/jala (water)

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?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata motif that when collective violence and moral collapse intensify, nature appears to mirror the disorder through ominous signs. It cautions that adharma in human action is not merely personal but can be portrayed as disturbing the wider cosmic and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports uncanny portents to the king: well-waters rise spontaneously everywhere, and terrifying loud roars are heard without any visible source. These signs function as forewarnings of imminent catastrophe in the ongoing Kurukṣetra war.