Shloka 16

धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्रतु-प्रवर्तनम् तथा पाण्डवानां निमन्त्रण-प्रतिवचनम्

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Sacrifice Commences and the Pandavas’ Reply to the Invitation

Devanagari script

भूय एवाभ्यवर्तन्त शतशो5थ सहस्रश:ः । गन्धर्वभूता पृथिवी क्षणेन समपद्यत

Transliteration

bhūya evābhyavartanta śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ | gandharvabhūtā pṛthivī kṣaṇena samapadyata ||

Translation

ಅವರು ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮುನ್ನುಗ್ಗಿದರು—ನೂರಾರು, ನಂತರ ಸಾವಿರಾರು; ಕ್ಷಣಮಾತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಭೂಮಿ ಗಂಧರ್ವಗಳಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿ ಗಂಧರ್ವಮಯವಾದಂತೆ ಆಯಿತು.

Word by Word

भूयःagain, once more

एवindeed, just

अभ्यवर्तन्तthey returned/turned back (towards)

शतशःby hundreds, in hundreds

अथthen, and

सहस्रशःby thousands, in thousands

गन्धर्वभूताhaving become (full of) Gandharvas / turned into Gandharvas

पृथिवीthe earth

क्षणेनin an instant, by a moment

समपद्यतbecame, came to be

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Gandharvas

Pṛthivī (the earth)

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 highlights how swiftly circumstances can change and how overwhelming collective force can reshape perception of reality; it cautions the listener to recognize the power of sudden upheaval and the need for steadiness amid tumult.

What is happening in the narrative?

A large group returns or rushes in again, growing from hundreds to thousands, and their presence becomes so pervasive that the earth is described as instantly appearing ‘Gandharva-like’—crowded, resounding, and transformed by their sudden mass arrival.