Shloka 16

धनंजयस्य आश्वासनम्

Dhanaṃjaya’s Reassurance and the Opening Engagement

Devanagari script

उपाशाम्यद्‌ रजो भौम॑ सर्व व्याप्तं मरीचिभि: । दिव्यगन्धानुपादाय वायुर्योधानसेवत

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

upāśāmyad rajo bhaumaṃ sarva-vyāptaṃ marīcibhiḥ |

divya-gandhān upādāya vāyur yodhān asevata ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Bụi đất lắng xuống, và những tia sáng lan tràn khắp nơi. Mang theo hương thơm thần diệu, gió lướt qua giữa các chiến binh đang đứng đó như thể đang chăm nom họ—một điềm lành báo hiệu sự hiện diện siêu phàm giữa cảnh trận mạc căng thẳng.

Word by Word

• उपाशाम्यत्: subsided, became calm
• उपाशाम्यत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-शम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• रजः: dust
• रजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• भौमम्: earthly, of the ground
• भौमम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भौम
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• सर्वम्: all, entirely
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded, filled
• व्याप्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (क्त)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• मरीचिभिः: by rays
• मरीचिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• दिव्यगन्धान्: divine fragrances
• दिव्यगन्धान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य-गन्ध
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• उपादाय: having taken, taking up
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आ-दा (धातु) → उपादाय (ल्यप्)
• Form: absolutive (gerund)

• वायुः: the wind
• वायुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• योधान्: warriors
• योधान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• असेवत: served, attended, moved among
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• wind (Vāyu)
• warriors (yodhāḥ)
• dust (rajaḥ)
• rays of light (marīci)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a warlike setting, the epic highlights moments where nature becomes calm and luminous, suggesting that higher, unseen forces can preside over human conflict; such signs invite restraint, attentiveness, and moral reflection rather than blind aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

The scene is described as suddenly purified and bright: dust settles, light pervades, and a fragrant wind passes among the assembled warriors—an atmospheric marker of a divine arrival or auspicious intervention in the Devāgamana episode.