Shloka 19

Kaurava Court Hears of the Pāṇḍavas’ Forest Hardship (वैचित्रवीर्यवंशीयस्य राज्ञः करुणाविचारः)

Devanagari script

एष रौद्रश्न सड्घातो महान्‌ युक्तश्न तेजसा । सोमस्य वल्लिसूर्याभ्यामद्भुतोड5यं समागम:

Transliteration

eṣa raudraśna-saṅghāto mahān yuktaś ca tejasā | somasya valli-sūryābhyām adbhuto ’yaṃ samāgamaḥ ||

Translation

இது ரௌத்ர இயல்புடைய மாபெரும் கூட்டம்; கொழுந்தெழும் தேஜஸால் நிறைந்தது. இது வியப்பூட்டும் சங்கமம்—ஒருபுறம் சோமன், மறுபுறம் வல்லியுடன் கூடிய சூரியன்।

Word by Word

एषःthis

रौद्रःfierce, terrible

सङ्घातःmass, collection, assemblage

महान्great

युक्तःendowed, joined, possessed (of)

तेजसाwith splendor/energy

सोमस्यof Soma / of the Moon

वल्लिcreeper, vine

सूर्याभ्याम्by/with the two suns

अद्भुतःwonderful, marvelous

अयम्this

समागमःmeeting, coming together

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Soma

Sūrya

Vallī (creeper/vine)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how immense power (tejas) can appear as awe-inspiring and even fearsome, and how extraordinary outcomes arise from significant conjunctions—suggesting that one should read events not only at the surface level but also in terms of deeper cosmic and ethical significance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a striking, powerful ‘mass’ or phenomenon and calls attention to a wondrous meeting/conjunction involving Soma (Moon/Soma principle) and the Sun together with a ‘valli’ (creeper), framing the moment as extraordinary and portentous.