Shloka 22

Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)

Devanagari script

तथैवाशिरसो राजन्नृक्षवक्त्राश्च॒ भारत । प्रदीप्तनेत्रजिद्वाश्न॒ ज्वालावर्णास्तथैव च,किन्हींके हाथोंमें ही कान थे। कितने ही हजार-हजार नेत्र और लंबे पेटवाले थे। कितनोंके शरीर मांसरहित, हड्ियोंके ढाँचे मात्र थे। भरतनन्दन! कोई कौओंके समान मुखवाले थे तो कोई बाजके समान। राजन! किन्हीं-किन्हींके तो सिर ही नहीं थे। भारत! कोई-कोई भालूके समान मुखवाले थे। उन सबके नेत्र और जिह्लाएँ तेजसे प्रज्वलित हो रही थीं। अंगोंकी कान्ति आगकी ज्वालाके समान जान पड़ती थी

Transliteration

tathaivāśiraso rājann ṛkṣavaktrāś ca bhārata | pradīptanetrājihvāś ca jvālāvarṇās tathaiva ca ||

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—तथैवाशिरसो राजन्नृक्षवक्त्राश्च भारत । प्रदीप्तनेत्रजिह्वाश्च ज्वालावर्णास्तथैव च ॥

Word by Word

तथाthus, likewise

एवindeed, just

अशिरसःheadless (ones)

राजन्O king

ऋक्षवक्त्राःbear-faced (ones)

चand

भारतO Bharata

प्रदीप्तनेत्रजिह्वाःhaving blazing eyes and tongues

ज्वालावर्णाःflame-colored, having the hue of flames

तथाlikewise

एवindeed

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājan, bhārata)

terrifying apparitions/phantoms (headless, bear-faced beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how adharma-driven violence (especially the nocturnal slaughter in Sauptika) is accompanied in the narrative by terrifying, unnatural visions—suggesting moral disorder reflected as cosmic and psychological dread.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues describing dreadful forms seen in the aftermath/atmosphere of the night attack: headless and animal-faced beings with blazing eyes and tongues, their bodies appearing flame-like—intensifying the horror of the episode for Dhṛtarāṣṭra.