Shloka 2

Devanagari script

खाण्डवं च वन सर्व पाण्डवो बहुभि: शरै: । आच्छादयदमेयात्मा नीहारेणेव चन्द्रमा:,अमित आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न पाण्डव अर्जुनने बहुत-से बाणोंकी वर्षा करके सारे खाण्डववनको ढँक दिया, जैसे कुहरा चन्द्रमाको ढक देता है

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca |

Khāṇḍavaṃ ca vanaṃ sarvaṃ pāṇḍavo bahubhiḥ śaraiḥ |

Ācchādayad ameyātmā nīhāreṇeva candramāḥ ||

Translation

అపారాత్మబలసంపన్నుడైన పాండవ అర్జునుడు అనేక బాణవర్షాలతో సమస్త ఖాండవ వనాన్ని కప్పివేశాడు; మబ్బు చంద్రుణ్ని కప్పినట్లుగా.

Word by Word

खाण्डवम्Khāṇḍava (forest)

चand

वनम्forest

सर्वम्entire, all

पाण्डवःthe Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

बहुभिःwith many

शरैःby arrows

आच्छादयत्covered, concealed

अमेयात्माwhose self is immeasurable; of immeasurable might

नीहारेणwith mist/fog

इवlike, as

चन्द्रमाःthe moon

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna (Pāṇḍava)

Khāṇḍava forest

arrows

moon

mist/fog

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 highlights how overwhelming force can decisively shape outcomes; ethically, it invites reflection on the responsibility that accompanies extraordinary power—especially when actions prevent escape and intensify harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna, described as of immeasurable prowess, releases a massive volley of arrows that blankets the whole Khāṇḍava forest, likened to fog covering the moon—signaling a complete martial enclosure of the scene.