Shloka 17

प्रावर्तयन्नदीं घोरां शोणितोदां तरज्षिणीम्‌ | अस्थिशैवालसम्बाधां युगान्ते कालनिर्मिताम्‌,पार्थने उस समय वहाँ खुनकी नदी बहा दी; जो बड़ी ही भयंकर थी। उसमें जलकी जगह रक्तकी धारा बहती थी तथा रक्तकी ही तरंगें उठती थीं। हड्डियाँ ही उसमें सेवार बनकर छा रही थीं। जान पड़ता था, प्रलयकालमें साक्षात्‌ कालने ही उसका निर्माण किया हो

prāvartayannadīṃ ghorāṃ śoṇitodāṃ taraṅgiṇīm | asthiśaivālasambādhāṃ yugānte kālanirmitām |

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—اسی لمحے پارتھ نے وہاں ایک ہولناک دریا بہا دیا؛ اس کا پانی خون تھا اور اس کی موجیں بھی خون کی تھیں۔ ہڈیوں کی کائی سے وہ اٹا ہوا تھا، اور یوں لگتا تھا جیسے یُگ کے اختتام پر خود کال نے اسے بنایا ہو۔

प्रावर्तयत्set in motion, caused to flow
प्रावर्तयत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-√वृत् (वर्तयति)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
नदीम्river
नदीम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनदी
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
घोराम्terrible, dreadful
घोराम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootघोर
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
शोणित-उदाम्having blood as water
शोणित-उदाम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootशोणितोद (शोणित + उद)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
तरङ्गिणीम्wave-bearing (river)
तरङ्गिणीम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootतरङ्गिणी
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
अस्थि-शैवाल-सम्बाधाम्choked/blocked with bone-algae (i.e., bones like weeds)
अस्थि-शैवाल-सम्बाधाम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअस्थिशैवालसम्बाध (अस्थि + शैवाल + सम्बाध)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
युग-अन्तेat the end of an age (aeon)
युग-अन्ते:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुगान्त (युग + अन्त)
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
काल-निर्मिताम्created by Time/Death (Kāla)
काल-निर्मिताम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootकालनिर्मित (काल + निर्मित)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular, [object Object]

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
N
nadī (river)
Ś
śoṇita (blood)
A
asthi (bones)
K
Kāla (Time/Death)
Y
yugānta (end of the age)

Educational Q&A

The verse uses apocalyptic imagery—a river of blood clogged with bones—to warn that unchecked violence and rage resemble cosmic dissolution (yugānta). It implicitly contrasts such destruction with dharma, suggesting that adharma-driven conflict makes the world feel as though Time/Death itself has taken over.

The narrator describes a terrifying scene as if a river has been unleashed whose water is blood and whose obstructions are bones like algae. The description heightens the sense of catastrophic slaughter and frames it in cosmic terms by likening it to something created by Kāla at the end of an age.