Shloka 3

Devanagari script

त॑ दावं समुदैक्षन्त कृष्णौ चाभ्युद्यतायुधौ,कृष्णमशभ्युद्यतास्त्रं च नादं मुमुचुरुल्बणम्‌ | उन्होंने उस जलते हुए वनको और मारनेके लिये अस्त्र उठाये हुए श्रीकृष्ण तथा अर्जुनको देखा। उत्पात और आर्तनादके शब्दसे उस वनमें खड़े हुए वे सभी प्राणी संत्रस्त- से हो उठे थे। उस वनको अनेक प्रकारसे दग्ध होते देख और अस्त्र उठाये हुए श्रीकृष्णपर दृष्टि डाल भयानक आर्तनाद करने लगे

Transliteration

taṁ dāvaṁ samudaikṣanta kṛṣṇau cābhyudyatāyudhau | kṛṣṇam abhyudyatāstraṁ ca nādaṁ mumucur ulbaṇam ||

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—त्यांनी तो धगधगता वनदाव आणि शस्त्रे उचलून उभे असलेले दोन्ही ‘कृष्ण’—श्रीकृष्ण व अर्जुन—पाहिले. श्रीकृष्णाचे अस्त्र सज्ज पाहून त्यांनी भयानक आर्तनाद केला।

Word by Word

तेthey

दावम्conflagration, forest-fire

समुदैक्षन्तthey saw, beheld

कृष्णौthe two Krishnas (Krishna and Arjuna)

चand

अभ्युद्यतायुधौwith weapons raised (ready to strike)

कृष्णम्Krishna

अथthen

अभ्युद्यतास्त्रम्having a raised missile/weapon (with weapon lifted)

चand

नादम्sound, roar, cry

मुमुचुःthey released/uttered

उल्बणम्terrible, fierce, loud

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva)

Arjuna

dāva (forest fire)

astra (missile/weapon)

āyudha (weapon)

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 the ethical shadow of armed action: when power is unleashed, fear and suffering spread to vulnerable beings as well. It invites reflection on responsibility and restraint, even when force is employed for a larger purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

A forest is burning (dāva). Observers/creatures in the forest see Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna with weapons raised, and on seeing Kṛṣṇa readying an astra they emit a dreadful cry—signaling panic and distress amid the spreading conflagration.