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Shloka 30

कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna

Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying

तथा तदभवद्‌ युद्ध घोररूपं भयानकम्‌ । लोहितोदा महानद्य: प्रसख्नुस्तत्र चासकृत्‌,वह युद्ध ऐसा घोर एवं भयानक हो रहा था कि वहाँ बारंबार खूनकी बड़ी-बड़ी नदियाँ बह चलती थीं

tathā tad abhavad yuddhaṃ ghorarūpaṃ bhayānakam | lohitodā mahānadyāḥ prasakhnuḥ tatra cāsakṛt |

तथा तदभवद् युद्धं घोररूपं भयानकम् । लोहितोदा महानद्यः प्रसख्नुस्तत्र चासकृत् ॥

तथाthus, in that manner
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
तत्that (thing/event)
तत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formneuter, nominative, singular
अभवत्became, happened
अभवत्:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
Formimperfect (laṅ), 3, singular, parasmaipada
युद्धम्battle
युद्धम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
Formneuter, nominative, singular
घोररूपम्of dreadful form
घोररूपम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootघोररूप
Formneuter, nominative, singular
भयानकम्terrifying
भयानकम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootभयानक
Formneuter, nominative, singular
लोहितोदाःhaving red (blood) as water
लोहितोदाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootलोहितोद
Formfeminine, nominative, plural
महानद्यःgreat rivers
महानद्यः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहानदी
Formfeminine, nominative, plural
प्रसख्नुःflowed forth, rushed
प्रसख्नुः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-स्कन्द्
Formperfect (liṭ), 3, plural, parasmaipada
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
असकृत्again and again, repeatedly
असकृत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअसकृत्

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
B
battlefield (tatra)
R
rivers of blood (lohitodā mahānadyāḥ)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the ethical cost of war: when conflict becomes unrestrained, it turns into a terrifying spectacle where life is squandered on a massive scale—symbolized by 'rivers of blood.' It implicitly warns that adharma-driven violence produces collective ruin rather than true victory.

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the fighting has intensified into a horrific, fearsome battle. The slaughter is so great that it is poetically described as causing great rivers of blood to flow repeatedly across the battlefield.