Shloka 20

Devanagari script

रक्षांसि च पिशाचाश्न विनेदुरतिसड्रता: । ववुश्चवाशिशिरा वाता: सूर्यो नैव तताप च,राक्षत और पिशाच परस्पर मिलकर जोर-जोरसे गर्जना करने लगे, गरम हवा चलने लगी और सूर्यका ताप क्षीण हो गया

Transliteration

rakṣāṃsi ca piśācāś ca vinedur ati-saṃrabdhāḥ | vavuś ca vāyavaḥ śiśirāḥ sūryo naiva tatāpa ca ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—రాక్షసులు, పిశాచులు తీవ్ర కలవరంతో అరచి గర్జించసాగారు. చల్లని గాలులు వీచాయి; సూర్యుడూ తన తాపాన్ని కోల్పోయినట్లయ్యెను।

Word by Word

रक्षांसिrakshasas (demons)

चand

पिशाचाःpiśācas (ghouls)

विनेदुःroared, made a loud sound

अतिसङ्घ्रताःvery close together / in a dense cluster

ववुःblew

चand

अशिशिराःnot cool, warm/hot

वाताःwinds

सूर्यःthe sun

नnot

एवindeed, at all

ततापshone/burned (gave heat)

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

rākṣasas

piśācas

wind

sun

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When violence and moral confusion intensify, the epic often depicts nature itself as reflecting that imbalance. The imagery of ghouls roaring, cold winds, and a weakened sun underscores the ethical darkness surrounding the battle and warns of escalating destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports ominous battlefield portents: rākṣasas and piśācas cry out in frenzy, cold winds arise, and the sun’s heat diminishes—signs that the conflict is entering a more dreadful and chaotic phase.