Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ज्वालामालापरिक्षिप्तो राज्ञो देहो व्यदृश्यत । युगान्ते दग्धुकामस्य संवर्ताग्नेरिवापर:,ज्वालामालाओंसे घिरा हुआ युधिष्ठिरका शरीर प्रलयकालमें जगत्‌को दग्ध करनेकी इच्छावाले द्वितीय संवर्तक अग्निके समान दिखायी देता था

Transliteration

jvālāmālā-parikṣipto rājño deho vyadṛśyata | yugānte dagdhukāmasya saṃvartāgner ivāparaḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ພະວິກາຍຂອງພະຣາຊາປາກົດດັ່ງຖືກລ້ອມຮອບດ້ວຍພວງໄຟ ເຫມືອນໄຟສັມວັດຕະກະອີກດວງໜຶ່ງ—ໄຟແຫ່ງວາລະສິ້ນຍຸກ ທີ່ປາຖະໜາຈະເຜົາໂລກ.

Word by Word

ज्वाला-माला-परिक्षिप्तःsurrounded/encircled by a garland of flames

राज्ञःof the king

देहःbody

व्यदृश्यतwas seen/appeared

युग-अन्तेat the end of an age (at the time of dissolution)

दग्धु-कामस्यof (one) desiring to burn

संवर्त-अग्नेःof the Saṃvarta fire (the fire of dissolution)

इवlike/as

अपरःanother/second

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

the king (rājā; contextually Yudhiṣṭhira in this passage)

Saṃvartaka fire (saṃvartāgni)

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 uses yugānta (end-of-age) fire as a simile to convey how, in the extremity of war, a ruler’s presence can become terrifyingly destructive. It cautions that even a king associated with dharma may appear as an agent of cosmic-scale ruin when conflict reaches its peak.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a battlefield vision: the king’s body is seen ringed by flames, and he looks like a second Saṃvartaka fire. The narration heightens the scene’s intensity and signals a moment of overwhelming martial energy and impending devastation.