Shloka 81

Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)

Devanagari script

ततो मुहूर्तात्‌ तेडपश्यन्‌ रजो भीम॑ समुत्थितम्‌

Transliteration

tato muhūrtāt te 'paśyan rajo bhīmaṃ samutthitam

Translation

随后，过了片刻，他们看见一团可怖的尘云腾起——这是战场上的凶兆，预示着大军的逼近或调动，也使正在展开的屠戮更添沉重的道德负担。

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')

• मुहूर्तात्: after a moment
• मुहूर्तात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपश्यन्: saw
• अपश्यन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• रजः: dust
• रजः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भीमम्: terrible, dreadful
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समुत्थितम्: risen, having arisen
• समुत्थितम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-स्था
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• dust-cloud (rajaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how war’s momentum manifests in ominous signs—here, a fearsome dust-cloud—reminding the listener that violence escalates beyond individual control and deepens the ethical gravity of the conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, after a short time, those present observe a terrifying mass of dust rising, typically indicating rapid movement of troops, chariots, or a major engagement about to unfold.