Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शरेणादित्यवर्णेन कालाग्निसमतेजसा । तेडसुरा: सपुरास्तत्र दग्धा रुद्रेण भारत

Transliteration

śareṇādityavarṇena kālāgnisamatejasā | te ḍasurāḥ sapurās tatra dagdhā rudreṇa bhārata ||

Translation

Vāyu nói: “Chỉ bằng một mũi tên—rực sáng như mặt trời và bừng cháy như lửa của ngày tận diệt—Rudra, hỡi Bhārata, đã thiêu thành tro bụi toàn thể các Asura ở đó, cùng với những thành lũy kiên cố của chúng.”

Word by Word

• शरेण: by/with an arrow
• शरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आदित्यवर्णेन: having the color/luster of the sun
• आदित्यवर्णेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्यवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कालाग्निसमतेजसा: with energy equal to the fire of Time (cosmic dissolution-fire)
• कालाग्निसमतेजसा: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालाग्निसमतेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• असुराः: asuras/demons
• असुराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सपुराः: together with (their) cities/fortresses
• सपुराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सपुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• दग्धाः: burnt, consumed
• दग्धाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)

• रुद्रेण: by Rudra (Shiva)
• रुद्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Asuras
• Puras (fortified cities/three cities implied)
• Arrow (śara)
• Āditya (the Sun, as a simile)
• Kālāgni (fire of dissolution, as a simile)
• Bhārata (addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames divine force as an instrument of restoring cosmic order: when destructive powers (Asuras) become entrenched behind seemingly impregnable fortresses, righteous authority (Rudra) can act decisively to remove them. The ethical emphasis is on protection of dharma through proportionate, purposeful power rather than violence for its own sake.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes Rudra’s annihilation of the Asuras: a sun-bright, dissolution-fire-like arrow is released, and the Asuras along with their cities are burned to ashes on the spot—an allusion to the famed destruction of the (three) demon cities.