Shloka 18

Kubera-prasāda-vihāra and Counsel on Ajñātavāsa (कुबेरप्रसादविहारः तथा अज्ञातवासोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

हतैर्निवातकवचैर्निरस्तै: पर्वतोपमै: । समाच्छाद्यत देश: स विकीर्णैरिव पर्वतैः,वहाँ मरकर गिरे हुए पर्वताकार निवातकवच इधर-उधर बिखरे हुए पर्वतोंके समान जान पड़ते थे। वहाँका सारा प्रदेश उनकी लाशोंसे पट गया था

Transliteration

Arjuna uvāca |

hatair nivātakavacair nirastaiḥ parvatopamaiḥ |

samācchādya ta deśaḥ sa vikīrṇair iva parvataiḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna nói: “Vùng đất ấy bị phủ kín bởi xác những Nivātakavaca đã bị giết, bị quật ngã nằm chồng chất như núi. Thân thể chúng văng rải khắp bốn phương, khiến cả miền trông như bị rắc đầy những dãy núi.”

Word by Word

हतैःby the slain

निवातकवचैःby the Nivātakavacas (a class of demons)

निरस्तैःby those cast down / felled

पर्वतोपमैःmountain-like

समाच्छाद्यhaving covered

तत्that

देशःregion, place

सःthat (he/it)

विकीर्णैःby scattered (ones)

इवas if, like

पर्वतैःby mountains / like mountains

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Nivātakavacas

the battlefield/region (deśa)

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 underscores the stark aftermath of battle: even when warfare is undertaken within a kṣatriya framework of duty, its results are immense destruction. It invites reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the gravity of violence in dharmic action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is describing the scene after the defeat of the Nivātakavacas: their mountain-like bodies lie slain and scattered, so densely covering the land that the region looks as if it is filled with mountains.