Shloka 124

Devanagari script

ततः शरौघैर्निशितै: किरीटिना नृदेहशस्त्रक्षतलोहितोदा । नदी सुघोरा नरमेदफेना प्रवर्तिता तत्र रणाजिरे वै,उस समय समरांगणमें किरीटधारी अर्जुनने अपने तीखे बाणसमूहोंद्वारा योद्धाओंके शरीरमें लगे हुए आघातसे निकलनेवाले रक्तकी एक भयंकर नदी बहा दी; जिसमें मनुष्योंके मेदे फेनके समान जान पड़ते थे

Transliteration

tataḥ śaraughair niśitaiḥ kirīṭinā nṛdehaśastrakṣatalohitodā | nadī sughorā naramedaphenā pravartitā tatra raṇājire vai ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിനുശേഷം രണഭൂമിയിൽ കിരീടധാരിയായ അർജുനൻ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള അമ്പുകളുടെ മഴകൊണ്ട് മനുഷ്യദേഹങ്ങളിലെ ആയുധമുറിവുകളിൽ നിന്ന് ഒഴുകിയ രക്തത്തെ ജലമാക്കി ഒരു അതിഭീകര നദി ഒഴുക്കി; അതിന്റെ നുര മനുഷ്യന്റെ മേദസ്സുപോലെ തോന്നി.

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereupon

शरौघैःby torrents/volleys of arrows

निशितैःsharp/keen

किरीटिनाby the diademed one (Arjuna)

नृदेहशस्त्रक्षतलोहितोदाwhose water was blood from weapon-wounds in human bodies

नदीa river

सुघोराvery terrible

नरमेदफेनाhaving foam of human fat

प्रवर्तिताwas set in motion/caused to flow

तत्रthere

रणाजिरेin the battlefield

वैindeed/verily

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Kirīṭin)

battlefield (raṇājira)

arrows (śara)

weapons (śastra)

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 stark battlefield imagery to underscore that martial success is inseparable from grievous human suffering; it invites reflection on the ethical weight and consequences of war even when fought by renowned heroes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna unleashing dense volleys of sharp arrows, causing so much bloodshed that it is poetically portrayed as a terrifying river of blood with foam like human fat flowing across the battlefield.