Shloka 20

Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement

Devanagari script

आशीदविपष॑ दुर्धरमप्रमेयं सुतीक्षणदंष्टं ज्वलनप्रभावम्‌

Transliteration

āśīd avipaḥ durdharam aprameyaṃ sutīkṣṇadaṃṣṭraṃ jvalanaprabhāvam

Translation

சஞ்சயன் கூறினான்—அது பாம்பைப் போன்றது—தடுக்க இயலாதது, அளவிட முடியாதது; அதன் பற்கள் மிகக் கூர்மையானவை, அதன் இயல்பே தீப்போல் எரிந்தது.

Word by Word

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Singular

• अविषम्: a poisonless one / non-poison (i.e., harmless)
• अविषम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्धरम्: hard to bear/withstand
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अप्रमेयम्: immeasurable, unfathomable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सुतीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रम्: having very sharp fangs
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुतीक्ष्ण-दंष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ज्वलनप्रभावम्: of blazing/fire-like power
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलन-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• सर्प (serpent, implied by avipaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a serpent-and-fire simile to highlight how destructive force in war can become immeasurable and difficult to resist; ethically, it cautions that rage and violence, once unleashed, turn into a peril that threatens all sides and demands restraint and discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a terrifying, overpowering presence—likened to a venomous serpent with razor-sharp fangs and a fiery potency—emphasizing the intensity and danger of the combat situation being reported to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.