Shloka 36

Adhyaya 2 — The Wise Birds

Sanskrit

तत्रापश्यत् तदा युद्धं भगदत्तकिरीटिनोः ।

निरन्तरं शरैरासीदाकाशं शलभैरिव ॥

Transliteration

tatrāpaśyat tadā yuddhaṃ bhagadatta-kirīṭinoḥ | nirantaraṃ śarair āsīd ākāśaṃ śalabhair iva ||

Translation

Tại đó, ông liền thấy cuộc giao chiến giữa Bhagadatta và vị chiến sĩ đội mũ miện. Bầu trời bị lấp kín liên miên bởi mưa tên, như thể đầy đàn bướm đêm/châu chấu.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘अ’ आगमः

• तदा: then
• तदा: सम्बन्ध (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भगदत्त: Bhagadatta
• भगदत्त: सम्बन्ध (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगदत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (समासाङ्ग/पूर्वपद) ‘भगदत्तकिरीटिनोः’ इत्यत्र

• किरीटिनोः: of (Bhagadatta and) the diademed one
• किरीटिनोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual); ‘भगदत्त-किरीटिनोः’ = of Bhagadatta and the diademed one (Arjuna)

• निरन्तरम्: continuously/without gap
• निरन्तरम्: विशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (used adverbially: continuously)

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आसीत्: was/became
• आसीत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आकाशम्: the sky
• आकाशम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्ये प्रथमा (subject complement)

• शलभैः: with locusts
• शलभैः: उपमान (Upamāna/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शलभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• इव: like
• इव: सम्बन्ध (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: like/as)

Speakers

• Narratorial voice (not a direct speech verse in the supplied line)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Epic narrative
• War imagery
• Simile (upamā)
• Kshatriya valor

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse primarily functions as vīra-rasa (heroic) description rather than direct moral instruction: it conveys the overwhelming intensity of conflict and the consequential force of human action (karma) in the public sphere of kṣatriya duty.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is not sarga/pratisarga (creation), vaṃśa (genealogy), manvantara (cosmic age), or vaṃśānucarita (dynastic chronicles) in a strict technical sense; it is best classified as vaṃśānucarita/itihāsa-style narrative material embedded in the Purāṇa’s broader composition.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘sky filled with arrows’ can be read symbolically as the mind-space (ākāśa) crowded by incessant vṛttis (projectiles of intention and reaction). The śalabha-simile suggests how innumerable small impulses, when swarming, obscure clarity—an image later Purāṇic and yogic traditions often use to contrast distraction with steadiness.