Shloka 10

Devanagari script

विवृद्धस्तुमुल: शब्दो द्यामगच्छन्महांस्तदा । नानायुधनिकृत्तानां चेष्टतामातुर: स्वन:,वह बढ़ा हुआ अत्यन्त भयानक शब्द उस समय स्वर्गलोकतक जा पहुँचा था। नाना प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंस कटकर छटपटाते हुए योद्धाओंका महान्‌ आर्तनाद धरतीपर सुनायी दे रहा था। गिरते और गिराये जाते हुए पैदल, घोड़े, रथ और हाथियोंकी अत्यन्त दयनीय दशा दिखायी देती थी

Transliteration

vivṛddhas tumulaḥ śabdo dyām agacchan mahāṁs tadā | nānāyudha-nikṛttānāṁ ceṣṭatām āturaḥ svanaḥ ||

Translation

विवृद्धस्तुमुलः शब्दो द्यामगच्छन्महांस्तदा । नानायुधनिकृत्तानां चेष्टतामातुरः स्वनः ॥

Word by Word

विवृद्धःgrown, increased

तुमुलःtumultuous, violent

शब्दःsound, noise

द्याम्to heaven, the sky

अगच्छत्went, reached

महान्great

तदाthen, at that time

नानाvarious, many kinds of

आयुधweapons

निकृत्तानाम्of those cut down, severed

चेष्टताम्of those struggling, writhing

आतुरःdistressed, anguished

स्वनःsound, cry

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

heaven/sky (dyām)

weapons (āyudha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of war: beyond strategy and heroism, battle produces overwhelming suffering—cries of the wounded and the destruction of living beings—serving as a sobering reminder that adharma and unchecked violence culminate in collective misery.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battlefield has become so fierce that the uproar seems to reach the heavens, while on earth the anguished wails of warriors cut down by diverse weapons are heard amid the collapse of men and war-animals.