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Shloka 38

शल्य–युधिष्ठिरयुद्धप्रारम्भः

Commencement of the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel

तेषां बाणसहस्रौधैराकीर्णा वसुधाभवत्‌ । अन्तरिक्षं च सहसा बाणभूतम भूत्तदा,उस समय उनके सहस्रों बाणसमूहोंसे रणभूमि आच्छादित हो गयी और आकाश भी सहसा बाणमय प्रतीत होने लगा

teṣāṃ bāṇa-sahasra-oghair ākīrṇā vasudhābhavat | antarikṣaṃ ca sahasā bāṇa-bhūtam abhūt tadā ||

तेषां बाणसहस्रौधैराकीर्णा वसुधाभवत् । अन्तरिक्षं च सहसा बाणभूतमभूत्तदा ॥

तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
बाण-सहस्र-ओधैःby torrents/streams of thousands of arrows
बाण-सहस्र-ओधैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootबाण + सहस्र + ओध
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
आकीर्णाcovered, filled, strewn
आकीर्णा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआ + कृ (क्त)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
वसुधाthe earth/ground
वसुधा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवसुधा
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
अभवत्became/was
अभवत्:
Kriya
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormImperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular
अन्तरिक्षम्the sky/space
अन्तरिक्षम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअन्तरिक्ष
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
सहसाsuddenly, at once
सहसा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसहसा
बाण-भूतम्having become arrows; consisting of arrows
बाण-भूतम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबाण + भूत
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अभूत्became/was
अभूत्:
Kriya
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormImperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular
तदाthen, at that time
तदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
A
arrows (bāṇāḥ)
E
earth/ground (vasudhā)
S
sky/atmosphere (antarikṣa)

Educational Q&A

The verse primarily offers vivid battlefield description, but it also implicitly warns how war, when driven by unchecked rage and rivalry, can overwhelm discernment—turning the world itself into an instrument of harm and obscuring the ethical aim (dharma) that is supposed to govern kṣatriya action.

Sañjaya reports that opposing warriors are releasing such immense volleys of arrows that the ground is blanketed with them and the sky appears filled with arrows, conveying the intensity and near-total saturation of missile warfare at that moment.