SanskritIASTMeaning
प्रवृत्तः संग्रामः समीपे लवण-अम्भसः सर्व-घोरतरःpravṛttaḥ saṃgrāmaḥ samīpe lavaṇa-ambhasaḥ sarva-ghorataraḥthe battle began near the salt ocean, most terrible of all
प्रासाः तोमराः शस्त्राणि सहस्रशः न्यपतन्तprāsāḥ tomarāḥ śastrāṇi sahasraśaḥ nyapatantajavelins, lances, and [other] weapons fell by the thousands
असुराः चक्र-भिन्नाः रुधिरं वमन्तः निपेतुःasurāḥ cakra-bhinnāḥ rudhiraṃ vamantaḥ nipetuḥthe asuras, cut by the discus, vomiting blood, fell
असि-शक्ति-गदा-रुग्णाः धरणी-तलेasi-śakti-gadā-rugṇāḥ dharaṇī-talestruck down by swords, spears, and maces, [they fell] to the ground
शिरांसि तप्त-काञ्चन-जालानि निपेतुःśirāṃsi tapta-kāñcana-jālāni nipetuḥheads [adorned] with pure gold fell
रुधिरेण अवलिप्त-अङ्गाः निहताः महासुराःrudhireṇa avalipta-aṅgāḥ nihatāḥ mahāsurāḥthe great asuras, drenched in blood, slain, [lay there]
अद्रीणां कूटानि धातु-रक्तानि इव शेरतेadrīṇāṃ kūṭāni dhātu-raktāni iva śeratethey lay like mountain peaks stained with [red] ore
हाहाकारः समभवत् अन्योन्यं छिन्दताम्hāhākāraḥ samabhavat anyonyaṃ chindatāma cry of woe arose [as] they cut one another down
आदित्ये लोहितायतिāditye lohitāyatiwhen the sun turned crimson [at dusk]
निघ्नतां अन्योन्यं शब्दः दिवम् अस्पृशत्nighnatāṃ anyonyaṃ śabdaḥ divam aspṛśatthe roar of those striking one another touched the heavens
छिन्धि भिन्धि प्रधावध्वं पातय इति शब्दाःchindhi bhindhi pradhāvadhvaṃ pātaya iti śabdāḥ'Cut! Pierce! Charge! Strike down!' — such were the cries [that rang out]
ततःtataḥoriginal form "tataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लवणाम्भसःlavaṇāmbhasaḥoriginal form "lavaṇāmbhasaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुराणाम्surāṇāmoriginal form "surāṇām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असुराणांasurāṇāṃoriginal form "asurāṇāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वघोरतरोsarvaghoratarooriginal form "sarvaghorataro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महान्mahānoriginal form "mahān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुविपुलास्suvipulāsoriginal form "suvipulās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तीक्ष्णाtīkṣṇāoriginal form "tīkṣṇā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तोमराश्tomarāśoriginal form "tomarāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुतीक्ष्णाग्राःsutīkṣṇāgrāḥoriginal form "sutīkṣṇāgrāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विविधानिvividhānioriginal form "vividhāni", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽसुराश्'surāśoriginal form "'surāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चक्रभिन्नाcakrabhinnāoriginal form "cakrabhinnā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वमन्तोvamantooriginal form "vamanto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहुbahuoriginal form "bahu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असिशक्तिगदारुग्णाasiśaktigadārugṇāoriginal form "asiśaktigadārugṇā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निपेतुर्nipeturoriginal form "nipetur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धरणीतलेdharaṇītaleoriginal form "dharaṇītale", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छिन्नानिchinnānioriginal form "chinnāni", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पट्टिशैश्paṭṭiśaiśoriginal form "paṭṭiśaiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
युधिyudhioriginal form "yudhi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दारुणेdāruṇeoriginal form "dāruṇe", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तप्तकाञ्चनजालानिtaptakāñcanajālānioriginal form "taptakāñcanajālāni", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निपेतुर्nipeturoriginal form "nipetur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनिशंaniśaṃoriginal form "aniśaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुधिरेणावलिप्ताङ्गाrudhireṇāvaliptāṅgāoriginal form "rudhireṇāvaliptāṅgā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निहताश्nihatāśoriginal form "nihatāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अद्रीणाम्adrīṇāmoriginal form "adrīṇām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धातुरक्तानिdhāturaktānioriginal form "dhāturaktāni", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सहस्रशःsahasraśaḥoriginal form "sahasraśaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छिन्दतांchindatāṃoriginal form "chindatāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शस्त्रैर्śastrairoriginal form "śastrair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परिघैश्parighaiśoriginal form "parighaiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चायसैःcāyasaiḥoriginal form "cāyasaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पीतैःpītaiḥoriginal form "pītaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संनिकर्षेsaṃnikarṣeoriginal form "saṃnikarṣe", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुष्टिभिःmuṣṭibhiḥoriginal form "muṣṭibhiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समरेsamareoriginal form "samare", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽन्योन्यं'nyonyaṃoriginal form "'nyonyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शब्दोśabdooriginal form "śabdo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवास्पृशत्ivāspṛśatoriginal form "ivāspṛśat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पातयाभिसरेतिpātayābhisaretioriginal form "pātayābhisareti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्यश्रूयन्तvyaśrūyantaoriginal form "vyaśrūyanta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाघोराःmahāghorāḥoriginal form "mahāghorāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शब्दास्śabdāsoriginal form "śabdās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समन्ततःsamantataḥoriginal form "samantataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
The grand battle of gods and asuras over the amrita reveals the eternal war between good and evil, between dharma and adharma. This is not merely a cosmic clash but an image of the ceaseless struggle that goes on both in the world and in every heart: the forces of light and the forces of darkness forever contend with one another for the 'nectar' — the supreme good. Scripture does not gloss over war: it shows it in its full horror — rivers of blood, severed heads, the cries of the dying — for violence, even when unavoidable, is terrible. Here is a reminder that worldly struggle for possession (even for goals that seem good) is full of suffering; true immortality is attained not by weapons but by the mercy of the Lord, who has already given the amrita to His devotees. The reddening sun over the field of battle is an image of the transience of every earthly victory and defeat. Thus, behind the outward description of carnage stands a call to seek the invulnerable — that which is above the wheel of enmity.