Shloka 386

Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha

Verbal Duel and Omens

Devanagari script

जहृषाते महाबाहू सिंहकेसरिणाविव । रोषमें भरे हुए दो व्याप्रों, गरजते हुए दो मेघों और दहाड़ते हुए दो सिंहोंके समान वे दोनों महाबाहु वीर हर्षोत्फुल्ल हो रहे थे

Transliteration

jahṛṣāte mahābāhū siṁhakesariṇāv iva | roṣeṇa bhṛtau dvau vyāghrau garjantau dvau meghau nadantau dvau siṁhau iva te ubhau mahābāhu-vīrau harṣotphullau babhūvatuḥ |

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആ രണ്ടു മഹാബാഹു വീരന്മാർ രോഷം നിറഞ്ഞ് ഹർഷോന്മുഖരായി; അവർ ക്രുദ്ധരായ രണ്ടു കടുവകളെപ്പോലെയും, ഗർജ്ജിക്കുന്ന രണ്ടു മേഘങ്ങളെപ്പോലെയും, ദഹാടിക്കുന്ന രണ്ടു സിംഹങ്ങളെപ്പോലെയും തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• जहृषाते: they rejoiced / became delighted
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृष्
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण/परस्मैपद-आत्मनेपद), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, द्विवचन

• महाबाहू: the two mighty-armed (heroes)
• महाबाहू: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• सिंहकेसरिणौ: two having lion-like manes
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंहकेसरिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• two mighty-armed heroes (unnamed in this verse)
• tigers (vyāghra) (simile)
• thunderclouds (megha) (simile)
• lions (siṁha) (simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior temperament in the Mahābhārata: intense emotion—especially wrath—can manifest as exhilaration when one is committed to a decisive duty. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya ideal of fearless readiness for battle, while also hinting at the dangerous power of anger when it becomes the fuel of action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two unnamed mighty-armed warriors becoming thrilled and energized, filled with rage, as they prepare for confrontation. The scene is intensified through layered similes—tigers, thunderclouds, and lions—to convey their ferocity and the impending clash.