Shloka 7

Arjuna’s Self-Identification and the Ten Names

Uttara–Arjuna Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

“दिशाओंमें आग-सी लग रही है और उनमें ये भयंकर गीदड़ियाँ चीत्कार करती हैं। घोड़े आँसू बहाते हैं और रथोंकी ध्वजाएँ बिना हिलाये ही हिल रही हैं ।। यादृशान्यत्र रूपाणि संदृश्यन्ते बहूनि च यत्ता भवन्तस्तिष्ठन्तु साध्यसं समुपस्थितम्‌,'यहाँ जैसे-जैसे बहुत-से रूप (लक्षण) दिखायी दे रहे हैं, उनसे यह सूचित होता है कि कोई महान्‌ भय उपस्थित होनेवाला है; आप सब लोग सावधान हो जायाँ

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | diśāṃsu agni-sadṛśī iva jvālā dṛśyate, tāsu ca bhīṣaṇāḥ śṛgālāḥ krandanti | aśvā aśrūṇi muñcanti, rathānāṃ dhvajāś ca acalitā api calanti | yādṛśāni anyatra rūpāṇi saṃdṛśyante bahūni ca, yathā ca iha—tair etad sūcyate yat mahān bhayaḥ samupasthitaḥ | ataḥ bhavantaḥ sarve sāvadhānāḥ tiṣṭhantu; sādhyaṃ karma samupasthitam ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन उवाच—सर्वासु दिक्षु वह्निरिव दृश्यते; तत्रैताः दारुणाः शिवाः चीत्कुर्वन्ति। हयाश्चाश्रूणि मुञ्चन्ति; रथध्वजाश्च अनुद्यताः सन्तोऽपि कम्पन्ते। यान्यन्यत्र बहूनि रूपाणि संदृश्यन्ते, तानि चात्रापि दृश्यन्ते—तेन महद्भयम् उपसन्नम् इति सूच्यते। अतः सर्वे भवन्तः सावधानाः तिष्ठन्तु; साध्यं कर्म समुपस्थितम्।

Word by Word

यादृशानिsuch as / of what kind

अत्रhere

रूपाणिforms, signs, omens

संदृश्यन्तेare seen / appear

बहूनिmany

चand

यत्which / that (fact that)

भवन्तःyou (honorific, plural)

तिष्ठन्तुlet (them/you) stand; remain; be (alert)

साध्यसम्to be accomplished / impending (thing to be effected)

समुपस्थितम्has come near; has arrived; is present

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

directions (quarters)

fire (as an appearance/omen)

jackals (śṛgālāḥ)

horses (aśvāḥ)

chariots (rathāḥ)

banners/standards (dhvajāḥ)

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 emphasizes vigilance and readiness when signs indicate an approaching crisis. Ethically, it frames duty (karma) as something to be met with alertness and steadiness rather than denial—especially when collective safety and righteous action are at stake.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a cluster of ominous portents—fiery-looking horizons, jackals wailing, horses weeping, and banners trembling without wind—interpreting them as signals of imminent danger and urging those present to remain on guard because a decisive confrontation is near.