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Shloka 32

कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna

Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying

मांसशोणितपड्किन्यो घोररूपा: सुदारुणा: । नदी: प्रवर्तयामासु: शोणितौघविवर्धिनी:,उनके भीतर मांस और रक्तकी ही कीचड़ जमी थी। रक्तके प्रवाहको बढ़ानेवाली उन घोर एवं भयंकर नदियोंको वहाँ योद्धाओंने प्रवाहित किया था

māṃsaśoṇitapaṅkinyo ghorarūpāḥ sudāruṇāḥ | nadīḥ pravartayāmāsuḥ śoṇitaughavivardhinīḥ ||

मांसशोणितपङ्किन्यो घोररूपाः सुदारुणाः । नदीः प्रवर्तयामासुः शोणितौघविवर्धिनीः ॥

मांसशोणितपङ्किन्यःmuddy with flesh and blood
मांसशोणितपङ्किन्यः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमांस-शोणित-पङ्किनी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
घोररूपाःof dreadful form
घोररूपाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootघोररूप
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
सुदारुणाःvery terrible
सुदारुणाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुदारुण
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
नद्यःrivers
नद्यः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनदी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
प्रवर्तयामासुःset in motion / caused to flow
प्रवर्तयामासुः:
Kriya
TypeVerb
Rootप्र√वृत् (प्रवर्तयति)
FormPerfect (Periphrastic), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
शोणितौघविवर्धिनीःincreasing the torrent of blood
शोणितौघविवर्धिनीः:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootशोणित-ओघ-विवर्धिनी
FormFeminine, Accusative, Plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
R
rivers (nadīḥ)
F
flesh (māṃsa)
B
blood (śoṇita)

Educational Q&A

The verse functions as a moral warning: when conflict abandons restraint and dharma, its consequences become monstrous—symbolized by rivers of blood and flesh—revealing the ethical cost of unchecked violence.

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the horrific state of the battlefield: the slaughter is so immense that it is imagined as dreadful rivers flowing, thick with flesh and blood, their torrents increasing.