FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.10.38

तेषां पदाघातरथाङ्गचूर्णिता- दायोधनादुल्बण उत्थितस्तदा । रेणुर्दिश: खं द्युमणिं च छादयन् न्यवर्ततासृक् स्रुतिभि: परिप्लुतात् ॥ ३८ ॥
teṣāṁ padāghāta-rathāṅga-cūrṇitād
[teshaam padaaghaata-rathaanga-choornitaad]
āyodhanād ulbaṇa utthitas tadā
[aayodhanaad ulbana utthitas tadaa]
reṇur diśaḥ khaṁ dyumaṇiṁ ca chādayan
[renur dishah kham dyumanim cha chaadayan]
nyavartatāsṛk-srutibhiḥ pariplutāt
[nyavartataasrik-srutibhih pariplutaat]
teṣām — of all the people engaged on the battlefield padāghāta — because of beating on the ground by the legs of the demons and demigods ratha-aṅga — and by the wheels of the chariots cūrṇitāt — which was made into pieces of dust āyodhanāt — from the battlefield ulbaṇaḥ — very forceful utthitaḥ — rising tadā — at that time reṇuḥ — the dust particles diśaḥ — all directions kham — outer space dyumaṇim — up to the sun ca — also chādayan — covering all of space up to that nyavartata — dropped floating in the air asṛk — of blood srutibhiḥ — by particles pariplutāt — because of being widely sprinkled.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
teṣāṁ padāghāta-rathāṅga-cūrṇitād
teṣām
of all the people engaged on the battlefield
padāghāta
because of beating on the ground by the legs of the demons and demigods
ratha-aṅga
and by the wheels of the chariots
cūrṇitāt
which was made into pieces of dust
āyodhanād ulbaṇa utthitas tadā
āyodhanāt
from the battlefield
ulbaṇaḥ
very forceful
utthitaḥ
rising
tadā
at that time
reṇur diśaḥ khaṁ dyumaṇiṁ ca chādayan
reṇuḥ
the dust particles
diśaḥ
all directions
kham
outer space
dyumaṇim
up to the sun
ca
also
chādayan
covering all of space up to that
nyavartatāsṛk-srutibhiḥ pariplutāt
nyavartata
dropped floating in the air
asṛk
of blood
srutibhiḥ
by particles
pariplutāt
because of being widely sprinkled.
Because of the impact on the ground of the legs of the demons and demigods and the wheels of the chariots, particles of dust flew violently into the sky and made a dust cloud that covered all directions of outer space, as far as the sun. But when the particles of dust were followed by drops of blood being sprinkled all over space, the dust cloud could no longer float in the sky.

The cloud of dust covered the entire horizon, but when drops of blood sprayed up as far as the sun, the dust cloud could no longer float in the sky. A point to be observed here is that although the blood is stated to have reached the sun, it is not said to have reached the moon. Apparently, therefore, as stated elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the sun, not the moon, is the planet nearest the earth. We have already discussed this point in many places. The sun is first, then the moon, then Mars, Jupiter and so on. The sun is supposed to be 93,000,000 miles above the surface of the earth, and from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we understand that the moon is 1,600,000 miles above the sun. Therefore the distance between the earth and the moon would be about 95,000,000 miles. So if a space capsule were traveling at the speed of 18,000 miles per hour, how could it reach the moon in four days? At that speed, going to the moon would take at least seven months. That a space capsule on a moon excursion has reached the moon in four days is therefore impossible.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Because of being ground by feet of the combatants and the wheels of the chariots, particles of dust from the battlefield flew violently into the sky and covered the sky and sun. But when the particles of dust became soaked with drops of blood, they fell back to earth. The dust which had risen up because of being ground up on the battlefield fell back to earth, because of being soaked with drops of blood. Another version has pariplutaḥ, modifying the dust particles. It should be understood that the particles of blood floated up to the sun.
Dust rose as high as the sun, but when blood fell as rain the dust settled. Suffering is the great leveler — what no measure can bring down, blood does. The Bhāgavatam observes even the physics of horror.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'dust' in my life keeps rising until something painful brings it down?
  • Is there 'blood' falling around me, and am I noticing it, or only the dust that has settled?
📝 My note

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