Shloka 28

Devanagari script

महाशिलाश्षापतंस्तत्र तत्र सहस्रश: साशनयश्न वज्ा: | चक्राणि चानेकशतक्षुराणि प्रादुर्बभूवुज्वलनप्रभाणि,जहाँ-तहाँ हजारों बड़ी-बड़ी शिलाएँ गिरने लगीं, बिजलियोंसहित वज्र पड़ने लगे और अग्निके समान दीप्तिमान्‌ कितने ही चक्रों तथा सैकड़ों छूुरोंका प्रादुर्भाव होने लगा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | mahāśilāḥ śarapatantaḥ tatra tatra sahasraśaḥ sāśanayaś ca vajrāḥ | cakrāṇi ca anekaśata-kṣurāṇi prādurbabhūvuḥ jvalana-prabhāṇi ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ସେଠାରେ ଓ ଚାରିଦିଗରେ ଅନେକ ସ୍ଥାନରେ ସହସ୍ର ସହସ୍ର ମହାଶିଳା ପଡ଼ିବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲା; ବିଜୁଳି ସହିତ ବଜ୍ରପାତ ହେଲା। ଅଗ୍ନିସମ ଦୀପ୍ତ ଅନେକ ଚକ୍ର ଓ ଶତଶଃ କ୍ଷୁର-ଅସ୍ତ୍ର ହଠାତ୍ ପ୍ରାଦୁର୍ଭୂତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

महाशिलाःhuge rocks

आपतन्तिwere falling down

तत्रthere

तत्रthere (here and there)

सहस्रशःby thousands

सwith

अशनयःlightnings / thunderbolts

वज्राःthunderbolts

चक्राणिdiscus-weapons / wheels

चand

अनेकशतक्षुराणिmany hundreds of razors (blades)

प्रादुर्बभूवुःappeared / manifested

उज्ज्वलनप्रभाणिhaving blazing radiance

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

mahāśilāḥ (huge rocks/boulders)

vajrāḥ (thunderbolts)

aśani (lightning)

cakrāṇi (weapon-discs)

kṣurāṇi (razor-like weapons)

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 underscores how war can escalate into overwhelming, almost cosmic devastation, suggesting that adharma-driven conflict invites terrifying consequences and tests human steadiness and moral discernment amid chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes extraordinary battlefield phenomena: huge rocks fall everywhere, lightning-laden thunderbolts strike, and blazing weapon-discs and razor-like blades appear in great numbers, intensifying the sense of dread and supernatural upheaval.