Chapter 2 · Dvitīyo’dhyāyaḥ (Second Chapter)
Verse 66
शोणितौघा महानद्यः सद्यस्तत्र प्रसुस्रुवुः। मध्ये चासुरसैन्यस्य वारणासुरवाजिनाम् ॥ ६६ ॥
śōṇitaughā mahānadyaḥ sadyastatra prasusruvuḥ | madhyē cāsurasainyasya vāraṇāsuravājinām || 66 ||
Translation
'Great rivers of blood immediately began to flow there, in the midst of the demon army, (from the bodies) of elephants, demons, and horses.'
Word by word
- śoṇita
- of blood
- oghāḥ
- floods
- mahānadyaḥ
- great rivers
- sadyaḥ
- immediately
- tatra
- there
- prasusruvuḥ
- began to flow
- madhye
- in the middle
- ca
- and
- asurasainyasya
- of the demon army
- vāraṇa
- of elephants
- asura
- of demons
- vājinām
- of horses
Meaning
The imagery becomes even more visceral. The carnage is so immense that the blood of the slain forms great flowing rivers (mahānadyaḥ) right through the heart of the demonic ranks. This horrific metaphor emphasizes the completeness of the slaughter and the literal fluid of life spilled in the defense of cosmic order.