Shloka 12

Duryodhana’s Departure toward Dvaītavana; Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Caution and Śakuni’s Assurance

Devanagari script

अदहदू देवसैन्यानि वेपमानानि भूतले । ते प्रदीप्तशिरोदेहा: प्रदीप्तायुधवाहना:,इस प्रकार उन्होंने देवताओंकी सेनाको जलाना प्रारम्भ किया। सारे सैनिक पृथ्वीपर गिरकर छटपटाने लगे। किसीका शरीर जल गया, किसीका सिर, किसीके आयुध जल गये और किसीके वाहन

Transliteration

adahadū devasainyāni vepamānāni bhūtale | te pradīptaśirodehāḥ pradīptāyudhavāhanāḥ ||

Translation

ਉਸ ਨੇ ਧਰਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਕੰਬਦੀਆਂ ਦੇਵ-ਸੈਨਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਾੜਨਾ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਉਹ ਯੋਧੇ—ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਸਿਰ ਤੇ ਸਰੀਰ ਅੱਗ ਨਾਲ ਲਪਟੇ ਹੋਏ ਸਨ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਹਥਿਆਰ ਤੇ ਵਾਹਨ ਵੀ ਧਧਕ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ—ਤੜਫ਼ਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਧਰਤੀ ਤੇ ਡਿੱਗ ਪਏ।

Word by Word

अदहत्burned

देवसैन्यानिthe armies of the gods

वेपमानानिtrembling

भूतलेon the ground

तेthey

प्रदीप्तशिरःदेहाःwhose heads and bodies were blazing

प्रदीप्तायुधवाहनाःwhose weapons and mounts were blazing

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

devas (the gods)

deva-sainyāni (armies of the gods)

āyudha (weapons)

vāhana (mounts/vehicles)

bhūtala (the earth/ground)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical warning that unchecked destructive force in conflict leads to indiscriminate suffering; dharma requires restraint and proportionality, even (and especially) among the powerful.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a figure (implied by context) burning the gods’ army: soldiers collapse on the ground, trembling, while their heads, bodies, weapons, and mounts are engulfed in flames.