Shloka 4

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ९६: सौभद्रस्य आक्रमणम्, अलम्बुसस्य प्रतिविधानम्

Abhimanyu’s assault; Alambusa’s counter-engagement

Devanagari script

अथैनं शरवर्षेण समन्तात्‌ पर्यवाकिरन्‌ । पर्वतं वारिधाराभि: शरदीव बलाहका:

Transliteration

athainaṁ śaravarṣeṇa samantāt paryavākiran | parvataṁ vāridhārābhiḥ śaradīva balāhakāḥ ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: ثم أمطروه من كل جانب بوابلٍ من السهام، فأحاطوا به إحاطةً تامة—كما تُغرق سُحُبُ الخريف جبلًا بصفائح الماء المنهمر. ويُبرز البيتُ قوةَ الحرب الجارفة، غير الشخصية، حيث تُختبر المهارةُ والثباتُ وسط عنفٍ لا ينقطع.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रत्ययान्त सर्वनाम)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• शरवर्षेण: with a shower of arrows
• शरवर्षेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात्

• पर्यवाकिरन्: they completely covered/surrounded (by scattering)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॄ (किरी/किर्) धातु; अव+आ+परि उपसर्गयुक्त
• Form: imperfect (लङ्), third, plural

• पर्वतम्: a mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• वारिधाराभिः: with streams of water
• वारिधाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारिधारा
• Form: feminine, instrumental, plural

• शरदि: in autumn
• शरदि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद्
• Form: feminine, locative, singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• बलाहकाः: clouds
• बलाहकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाहक
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrows (śara)
• mountain (parvata)
• clouds (balāhaka)
• autumn season (śarad)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of war: an individual can be engulfed by collective aggression like a natural deluge. Ethically, it invites reflection on the dehumanizing momentum of conflict and the need for steadiness and discernment amid overwhelming pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior being attacked from all directions with a dense barrage of arrows, using the vivid comparison of rain clouds in autumn pouring water over a mountain.