Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स संनिपातस्तु तयोर्महान भूत्‌ सुरेशवैरोचनयोर्यथा पुरा । शरैविंनुन्नाड्शनियन्तृवाहयो: सुदुःसहो<न्यै: कठुशोणितोदक:,उन दोनोंका वह संग्राम वैसा ही महान्‌ था, जैसा कि पूर्वकालमें इन्द्र और बलिका युद्ध हुआ था। बाणोंके आघातसे उन दोनोंके शरीर, सारथि और घोड़े क्षत-विक्षत हो गये थे और वहाँ कटु रक्तरूपी जलका प्रवाह बह रहा था। वह युद्ध दूसरोंके लिये अत्यन्त दुःसह था

Transliteration

sa sannipātas tu tayor mahān bhūt sureśa-vairocanayor yathā purā | śarair vinunnāḍaśa-niyantrivāhayor suduḥsaho 'nyaiḥ kaṭu-śoṇitodakaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：二人相撞之战浩大无比，宛如往昔天帝因陀罗与毗卢遮那之子婆利的古战。箭雨穿刺撕裂之下，他们的身躯——连同御者与战马——皆被创裂残破；其地更有苦涩的血流如水奔涌。此战之惨烈，旁人莫能承受，甚至难以目睹。

Word by Word

सःthat (he/it)

संनिपातःencounter, clash

तुbut, indeed

तयोःof those two

महान्great

अभूत्was, became

सुरेशof the lord of gods (Indra)

वैरोचनयोःof (Indra) and Virocana’s son (Bali)

यथाas, just as

पुराformerly, in olden times

शरैःwith arrows

विनुन्नdriven/struck, battered

अङ्गlimbs, bodies

सारथिcharioteers

नियन्तृdrivers, controllers

वाहयोःof the steeds/vehicles (horses)

सुदुःसहःvery hard to endure

अन्यैःby others (for others)

कटुpungent, harsh

शोणितblood

उदकःwater, flood

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Indra (Sureśa)

Bali (Virocana’s son; Vairocaneya)

arrows (śara)

charioteer (sārathi)

horses (aśva)

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 highlights a moral tension central to the Mahābhārata: even when framed as heroic duty, war’s ‘greatness’ is inseparable from widespread suffering. The epic simile (Indra vs. Bali) magnifies the scale, while the imagery of blood flowing like water reminds the listener that glory is purchased with unbearable pain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes an intense duel between two principal warriors (contextually, the leading champions on the battlefield). Their encounter swells into a colossal fight, compared to the mythic conflict of Indra and Bali; arrows mutilate bodies, charioteers, and horses, and the battlefield runs with blood, making the scene dreadful for onlookers.