Shloka 17

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

Devanagari script

तस्यां रजन्यां घोरायां नदन्त्य: सर्वतः शिवा:

Transliteration

tasyāṁ rajanyāṁ ghorāyāṁ nadantyaḥ sarvataḥ śivāḥ

Translation

ఆ ఘోర రాత్రిలో అన్ని దిక్కుల నుంచీ నక్కలు కేకలు వేసాయి—యుద్ధమధ్యంలో విపత్తును సూచించే అపశకునం.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रजन्याम्: night
• रजन्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• घोरायाम्: terrible
• घोरायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• नदन्त्यः: howling/crying out
• नदन्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वतः: from all sides/everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• शिवाः: jackals
• शिवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• jackals (śivāḥ)
• night (rajanī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how traditional epic narrative uses natural omens to signal moral and existential crisis: when adharma and mass violence intensify, the world itself seems to ‘warn’ through fearful signs, urging reflection on the consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a terrifying night during the war in which jackals howl everywhere, functioning as a portent of impending disaster and heightened dread in the battlefield atmosphere.