Shloka 27

Devanagari script

नाराचा निशिता: संख्ये सम्पतन्ति सम भारत । व्यात्तानना भयकरा उरगा इव संघश:,भारत! उस समय युद्धमें तीखे नाराच नामक बाण इस प्रकार पड़ते थे, मानो मुख फैलाये हुए भयंकर नाग झुंड-के-झुंड गिर रहे हों

Transliteration

nārācā niśitāḥ saṅkhye sampatanti sma bhārata | vyāttānanā bhayakarā uragā iva saṅghaśaḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຈະຍາກ່າວວ່າ: ໂອ ພາຣະຕະ! ໃນສະໜາມຮົບນັ້ນ ລູກສອນ “ນາຣາຈະ” ທີ່ແຫຼມຄົມ ຕົກລົງບໍ່ຂາດສາຍ; ດັ່ງງູດຸຮ້າຍອ້າປາກກວ້າງ ຕົກລົງເປັນຝູງໆ.

Word by Word

नाराचाःiron arrows (nārāca missiles)

निशिताःsharpened, keen

सङ्ख्येin battle

सम्पतन्तिfall down upon, rush down

सम्O (address particle)

भारतO Bhārata

व्यात्ताननाःwith mouths wide open

भयकराःterrifying

उरगाःserpents

इवlike, as if

सङ्घशःin groups, in swarms

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhārata (address)

nārāca (arrows)

uraga (serpents)

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 is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it underscores the terrifying intensity of war through a vivid simile. Ethically, it functions as a reminder of the dread and dehumanizing force of battle, where weapons descend like deadly creatures, amplifying fear and chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the Kuru king (addressed as Bhārata) that in the thick of combat, sharp nārāca arrows were raining down continuously, compared to swarms of fearsome, open-mouthed serpents falling upon the fighters.