Shloka 31

Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host

Devanagari script

कवचोष्णीषसंछज्ञा पताकारुचिरद्रुमा । चक्रचक्रावलीजुष्टा त्रिवेणूरगसंवृता

Transliteration

kavacoṣṇīṣasaṃchannā patākāruciradrumā | cakracakrāvalījuṣṭā triveṇūragasaṃvṛtā ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ତାପରେ ସେଇ ରଣଭୂମିରେ ରକ୍ତର ଏକ ନଦୀ ବହିବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲା, ଯେନେ ପରଲୋକ ଦିଗକୁ ଧାଉଛି। ରକ୍ତ ହିଁ ତାହାର ଜଳ; ରଥଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଭଁବର ପରି ଲାଗୁଥିଲେ; ଧ୍ୱଜଗୁଡ଼ିକ ତଟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ବୃକ୍ଷ ପରି ଦିଶୁଥିଲେ; ଅସ୍ଥିଗୁଡ଼ିକ କଙ୍କଡ଼-ପଥରର ଭ୍ରମ ଜନାଉଥିଲେ; କଟା ଭୁଜାଗୁଡ଼ିକ ସର୍ପ ପରି ଦିଶୁଥିଲେ; ଧନୁଷ ତାହାର ସ୍ରୋତ ଥିଲା; ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱରେ ହାତୀ ପର୍ବତ ପରି, ଘୋଡ଼ା ଛିଟିଆ ପାଥରଖଣ୍ଡ ପରି। ମେଦ ଓ ମଜ୍ଜା ତାହାର କାଦୁଆ; ଛତ୍ର ହଂସ ପରି; ଗଦା ନୌକା ପରି ଲାଗୁଥିଲା। କବଚ ଓ ପାଗଡ଼ି ଶେଉଳ ପରି ତାହାର ପୃଷ୍ଠକୁ ଢାକିଥିଲା; ପତାକା ସୁନ୍ଦର ବୃକ୍ଷ ପରି ଜ୍ଵଳିଥିଲା; ଚକ୍ରର ଗୁଚ୍ଛ ଚକ୍ରବାକ ପକ୍ଷୀଦଳ ପରି ତାହାର ଜଳ ପାନ କରୁଥିଲା; ଏବଂ ‘ତ୍ରିବେଣୁ’ ସର୍ପରେ ତାହା ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• कवच: armours
• कवच: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवच
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• उष्णीष: turbans/headgear
• उष्णीष: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्णीष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संछन्नाः: covered/overspread
• संछन्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-छद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पताका: banners/flags
• पताका: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• रुचिर: beautiful
• रुचिर: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुचिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्रुमाः: trees
• द्रुमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• चक्र: wheels/discs
• चक्र: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• चक्रावली: by/with a flock of cakravāka-birds (a ring/cluster)
• चक्रावली: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रावली
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• जुष्टाः: frequented/attended
• जुष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रिवेणु: three-braided (bows/streams); here: tri-veṇu (threefold) [as a name]
• त्रिवेणु: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवेणु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उरग: serpents
• उरग: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संवृताः: filled/covered/encircled
• संवृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-वृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• battlefield (raṇabhūmi)
• river of blood
• chariots
• banners/pennants (patākā)
• wheels (cakra)
• armor (kavaca)
• turbans (uṣṇīṣa)
• serpents (uraga, triveṇu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a stark extended metaphor—turning the battlefield into a ‘river of blood’—to underline the moral cost of war: glory and power are purchased with suffering, and the material signs of heroism (armor, banners, chariots) become mere debris in a landscape of death. It implicitly warns that when dharma collapses into violence, the world itself appears inverted and polluted.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the Kurukṣetra war, describes the scene after intense fighting: blood flows like a river, and the scattered instruments of battle—wheels, banners, armor, turbans—are poetically reimagined as features of that river (trees, birds, moss, serpents), emphasizing the battlefield’s horrific transformation.