Shloka 20
Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
Devanagari script
आशीदविपष॑ दुर्धरमप्रमेयं सुतीक्षणदंष्टं ज्वलनप्रभावम्
Transliteration
āśīd avipaḥ durdharam aprameyaṃ sutīkṣṇadaṃṣṭraṃ jvalanaprabhāvam
Translation
桑阇耶说：“它如毒蛇一般——难以抵挡，不可度量——獠牙极其锋利，其本性炽燃如火。”
Word by Word
आसीत्was
आसीत्:
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), 3, Singular
अविषम्a poisonless one / non-poison (i.e., harmless)
अविषम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअविष (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
दुर्धरम्hard to bear/withstand
दुर्धरम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अप्रमेयम्immeasurable, unfathomable
अप्रमेयम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअप्रमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
सुतीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रम्having very sharp fangs
सुतीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसुतीक्ष्ण-दंष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
ज्वलनप्रभावम्of blazing/fire-like power
ज्वलनप्रभावम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootज्वलन-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)स
सर्प (serpent, implied by avipaḥ)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
The verse uses a serpent-and-fire simile to highlight how destructive force in war can become immeasurable and difficult to resist; ethically, it cautions that rage and violence, once unleashed, turn into a peril that threatens all sides and demands restraint and discernment.
Sañjaya is describing a terrifying, overpowering presence—likened to a venomous serpent with razor-sharp fangs and a fiery potency—emphasizing the intensity and danger of the combat situation being reported to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.