Mahabharata · 1.217.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
शरैर् अभ्याहतानां च दह्यतां च वनौकसाम् ॥
विरावः श्रूयते ह स्म समुद्रस्येव मथ्यतः ॥
वह्नेश् चापि प्रहृष्टस्य खम् उत्पेतुर् महार्चिषः ॥
जनयाम् आसुर् उद्वेगं सुमहान्तं दिवौकसाम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
śarair abhyāhatānāṃ ca dahyatāṃ ca vanaukasām ||
virāvaḥ śrūyate ha sma samudrasyeva mathyataḥ ||
vahneś cāpi prahṛṣṭasya kham utpetur mahārciṣaḥ ||
janayām āsur udvegaṃ sumahāntaṃ divaukasām ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शरैः अभ्याहतानां च दह्यतां च वनौकसाम्śaraiḥ abhyāhatānāṃ ca dahyatāṃ ca vanaukasāmand of the forest-dwellers struck by arrows and burning,
विरावः श्रूयते ह स्म समुद्रस्य इव मथ्यतःvirāvaḥ śrūyate ha sma samudrasya iva mathyataḥa wail was heard, like that of the churned ocean;
वह्नेः च अपि प्रहृष्टस्य खम् उत्पेतुः महार्चिषःvahneḥ ca api prahṛṣṭasya kham utpetuḥ mahārciṣaḥand of the exultant fire, great tongues of flame leapt into the sky,
जनयाम् आसुः उद्वेगं सुमहान्तं दिवौकसाम्janayām āsuḥ udvegaṃ sumahāntaṃ divaukasāmstirring up a mighty alarm among the dwellers of heaven;
शरैर्śarairoriginal form "śarair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समुद्रस्येवsamudrasyevaoriginal form "samudrasyeva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वह्नेश्vahneśoriginal form "vahneś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उत्पेतुर्utpeturoriginal form "utpetur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आसुर्āsuroriginal form "āsur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"And of the forest-dwellers struck by arrows and burning, a wail was heard, like that of the churned ocean; and of the exultant fire, great tongues of flame leapt into the sky, stirring up a mighty alarm among the dwellers of heaven."
Version
a1265ba8edc4 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the wail of the dying rises up to the very heavens. It is telling that even the gods grow alarmed: the suffering of creatures does not go unseen from above. The cry of the afflicted reaches the heavens, and the heaven-dwellers themselves are troubled. Thus scripture reveals a cosmic echo of the calamity, and the alarm of the gods sets the stage for Indra's intervention.