Shloka 16

धनंजयस्य आश्वासनम्

Dhanaṃjaya’s Reassurance and the Opening Engagement

Devanagari script

उपाशाम्यद्‌ रजो भौम॑ सर्व व्याप्तं मरीचिभि: । दिव्यगन्धानुपादाय वायुर्योधानसेवत

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

upāśāmyad rajo bhaumaṃ sarva-vyāptaṃ marīcibhiḥ |

divya-gandhān upādāya vāyur yodhān asevata ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Земная пыль улеглась, и лучи света разошлись повсюду. Ветер, неся божественное благоухание, проходил меж стоявших там воинов, словно служа им, — знак благого, неземного присутствия среди напряжённой воинской картины.

Word by Word

• उपाशाम्यत्: subsided, became calm
• उपाशाम्यत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-शम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• रजः: dust
• रजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• भौमम्: earthly, of the ground
• भौमम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भौम
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• सर्वम्: all, entirely
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded, filled
• व्याप्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (क्त)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• मरीचिभिः: by rays
• मरीचिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• दिव्यगन्धान्: divine fragrances
• दिव्यगन्धान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य-गन्ध
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• उपादाय: having taken, taking up
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आ-दा (धातु) → उपादाय (ल्यप्)
• Form: absolutive (gerund)

• वायुः: the wind
• वायुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• योधान्: warriors
• योधान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• असेवत: served, attended, moved among
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• wind (Vāyu)
• warriors (yodhāḥ)
• dust (rajaḥ)
• rays of light (marīci)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a warlike setting, the epic highlights moments where nature becomes calm and luminous, suggesting that higher, unseen forces can preside over human conflict; such signs invite restraint, attentiveness, and moral reflection rather than blind aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

The scene is described as suddenly purified and bright: dust settles, light pervades, and a fragrant wind passes among the assembled warriors—an atmospheric marker of a divine arrival or auspicious intervention in the Devāgamana episode.