Shloka 20

Devanagari script

शस्त्राकृतिभिराकीर्णमतीव पुरुषर्षभ । दृष्टवान्तरिक्षमाविग्ना: पाण्डुपाउ्चालसृज्जया:,पुरुषश्रेष्ठ] उस समय आकाशको विभिन्न शस्त्रोंक आकारवाले पदार्थोंसे अत्यन्त व्याप्त हुआ-सा देख पाण्डव, पांचाल और सूंजय योद्धा उद्विग्न हो उठे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śastrākṛtibhir ākīrṇam atīva puruṣarṣabha | dṛṣṭvāntarikṣam āvignāḥ pāṇḍu-pāñcāla-sṛñjayāḥ ||

Translation

शस्त्राकृतिभिराकीर्णमतीव पुरुषर्षभ। दृष्ट्वान्तरिक्षमाविग्नाः पाण्डवाः पाञ्चाल-सृञ्जयाः॥

Word by Word

शस्त्रweapons

आकृतिभिःby forms/shapes

आकीर्णम्filled, crowded, covered

अतीवexceedingly, very

पुरुषर्षभO bull among men

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

अन्तरिक्षम्the sky/atmosphere

आविग्नाःagitated, distressed

पाण्डुof Pāṇḍu / Pāṇḍava

पाञ्चालPañcālas

सृञ्जयाःSṛñjayas

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address puruṣarṣabha)

Antarikṣa (the sky/atmosphere)

Śastra (weapons)

Pāṇḍavas

Pāñcālas

Sṛñjayas

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 how war’s violence generates dread that spreads beyond the battlefield: when even the sky seems filled with weapon-forms, it symbolizes a world overwhelmed by conflict, warning of the ethical and psychological cost of unchecked aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas and their allies (Pāñcālas and Sṛñjayas) see the atmosphere crowded with weapon-like forms, and this sight makes them alarmed and uneasy—suggesting a terrifying display or ominous sign amid the fighting.