Shloka 52

Devanagari script

एतावदुक्‍्त्वा वचन प्रद्ृष्टो ननाद चोच्चै रुधिराद्द्रगात्र: । ननर्द चैवातिबलो महात्मा वृत्र निहत्येव सहस्रनेत्र:

Transliteration

etāvad uktvā vacana-pradṛṣṭo nanāda coccai rudhirādragaātraḥ | nanarda caivātibalo mahātmā vṛtra-nihatyeva sahasra-netraḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Setelah berkata sekadar itu, dengan mata menyala garang dan anggota tubuh bersalut darah, dia mengaum kuat. Wira yang amat perkasa dan berhati agung itu meraung seperti Indra bermata seribu setelah menewaskan Vṛtra—memancarkan tekad yang ganas di tengah kelam moral peperangan.”

Word by Word

एतावत्this much

उक्त्वाhaving said

वचनम्speech, words

प्रदृष्टःseen/observed; (here) appearing/manifest

ननादroared

चand

उच्चैःloudly, on high

रुधिरात्from blood; with blood (ablatival usage)

द्रगात्रःwhose limbs were wet (with blood)

ननर्दroared

चand

एवindeed, just

अतिबलःvery strong

महात्माthe great-souled one

वृत्रम्Vṛtra

निहत्यhaving slain

इवas if, like

सहस्रनेत्रःthe thousand-eyed one (Indra)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Indra (Sahasranetra)

Vṛtra

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 how martial fury and triumph are framed through epic ideals: a warrior’s roar is likened to Indra’s mythic victory, suggesting that in war, power and resolve are celebrated even while the scene remains drenched in blood—inviting reflection on the tension between heroic duty (kṣatriya-dharma) and the ethical cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After speaking briefly, the blood-smeared, intensely focused hero roars loudly. Sañjaya describes this roar by comparing him to Indra (the thousand-eyed) exulting after killing Vṛtra, emphasizing the warrior’s overwhelming strength and battle-spirit at that moment.