Shloka 4

Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam

A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement

Devanagari script

निःसरन्तो व्यदृश्यन्त सूर्यात्‌ सप्त महाग्रहा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | niḥsaranto vyadṛśyanta sūryāt sapta mahāgrahāḥ | ulkāpātāḥ prāvartanta diśaś cāgnimayīr iva | avṛṣṭyā vidyutaḥ petur bhayaṅkarāś ca mahānilāḥ ||

Translation

ସେହି ସମୟରେ ସୂର୍ୟମଣ୍ଡଳରୁ ସାତଟି ମହାଗ୍ରହ ବାହାରୁଥିବା ପରି ଦେଖାଗଲା। ଉଲ୍କାପାତ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହେଲା; ଦିଗମାନେ ଅଗ୍ନିରେ ଜ୍ୱଳୁଥିବା ପରି ଲାଗିଲା; ବର୍ଷା ବିନା ମଧ୍ୟ ବିଜୁଳି ପଡ଼ିଲା; ଭୟଙ୍କର ବାତ୍ୟା ଓ ଝଡ଼ ଉଠିଲା।

Word by Word

• निःसरन्तः: coming out, emerging
• निःसरन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: निःसृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• व्यदृश्यन्त: were seen, appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), प्रथम, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सूर्यात्: from the sun
• सूर्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• सप्त: seven
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• महाग्रहाः: great planets (great grahas)
• महाग्रहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sūrya (the Sun)
• sapta mahāgrahāḥ (seven great planets/astral bodies)
• ulkā (meteors)
• diśaḥ (the directions/quarters)
• vidyut (lightning)
• mahānila (violent wind)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses ominous celestial and atmospheric signs to suggest that collective wrongdoing and war-fury disturb the moral and cosmic order; such portents function as warnings to restrain adharma-driven action and to recognize impending catastrophe.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports extraordinary portents—planets seeming to emerge from the sun, meteor-falls, fiery horizons, lightning without rain, and violent winds—signaling an inauspicious turn in the war and foreshadowing severe destruction.