Shloka 24

भीष्मस्य शरवर्षः — Bhīṣma’s Arrow-Storm and Kṛṣṇa’s Impulse to Intervene

Devanagari script

वेदयन्त्यो महाराज महद्‌ वैशसमागतम्‌ । दिश: प्रज्वलिता राजन्‌ पांसुवर्ष पपात च

Transliteration

vedayantyo mahārāja mahad vaiśasam āgatam | diśaḥ prajvalitā rājan pāṃsuvarṣa papāta ca ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，不祥之兆宣告着巨大的灾厄已然降临。君王啊，四方仿佛燃烧，尘土如雨遍落。”

Word by Word

• वेदयन्त्यः: informing, indicating
• वेदयन्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वेदयन्ती (√विद्/√वेद् caus. वेदयति)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, Present active participle

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वैशसम्: calamity, slaughter, disaster
• वैशसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आगतम्: come, arrived (having come)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (√गम्) → आगत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle

• दिशः: directions, quarters
• दिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रज्वलिताः: blazing, set aflame
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√ज्वल् → प्रज्वलित
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पांसुवर्षम्: a rain of dust
• पांसुवर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु-वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पपात: fell, rained down
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• diśaḥ (the quarters/directions)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When collective adharma ripens into war, nature itself is portrayed as reflecting moral disorder through ominous signs; the verse underscores the ethical gravity of impending slaughter and the responsibility of rulers to heed warnings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that terrifying portents are appearing—directions seem to burn and dust falls like rain—signaling that a great catastrophe and mass killing are imminent on the battlefield.