Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततो नानाप्रहरणैरन्योन्यमभिवर्षताम्‌ । आयसै: परिघै: शूलैर्गदामुसलमुद्गरै:,भारत! तत्पश्चात्‌ वे एक-दूसरेपर नाना प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंकी वर्षा करने लगे। लोहेके परिघ, शूल, गदा, मुसल, मुद्गर, पिनाक, खड्ग, तोमर, प्रास, कम्पन, तीखे नाराच, भलल, बाण, चक्र, फरसे, लोहेकी गोली, भिन्दिपाल, गोशीर्ष, उलूखल, बड़ी-बड़ी शाखाओंवाले उखाड़े हुए नाना प्रकारके वृक्ष--शमी, पीलु, कदम्ब, चम्पा, इंगुद, बेर, विकसित कोविदार, पलाश, अरिमेद, बड़े-बड़े पाकड़, बरगद और पीपल--इन सबके द्वारा उस महासमरमें वे एक-दूसरेपर चोट करने लगे। नाना प्रकारकी धातुओंसे व्याप्त विशाल पर्वतशिखरोंद्वारा भी वे परस्पर आघात करते थे

Transliteration

tato nānā-praharaṇair anyonyam abhivarṣatām | āyasaiḥ parighaiḥ śūlair gadā-musalamudgaraiḥ, bhārata |

Translation

قال سنجيا: ثم، يا بهارتا، أخذوا يمطر بعضُهم بعضًا بشتى صنوف السلاح—بعصيّ الحديد وقضبانه، وبالرماح والحراب الثلاثية، وبالهراوات والمدقات والمطارق. وفي ذلك القتال العظيم كانوا يتصادمون حتى بقمم جبال هائلة مشحونة بأنواع المعادن.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

नानाvarious, many kinds of

प्रहरणैःwith weapons

अन्योन्यम्each other, mutually

अभिवर्षताम्of the two (sides) showering upon (each other)

आयसैःiron (made of iron)

परिघैःwith iron bars/clubs

शूलैःwith spears/pikes

गदामुसलमुद्गरैःwith maces, pestles, and hammers

भारतO Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhārata (address)

weapons: praharaṇa (weapons), āyasa-parigha (iron bars/clubs), śūla (spears), gadā (maces), musala (pestles), mudgara (hammers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare tends to intensify beyond moderation: once mutual hostility peaks, combat becomes a relentless exchange of increasingly brutal weapons. It implicitly warns that ethical restraint is hardest to maintain when anger and fear dominate, a recurring Mahābhārata concern about dharma under extreme conditions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighters have entered a phase of close, mutual assault—‘raining’ blows with many kinds of heavy weapons, especially iron bars, spears, and various maces and bludgeons—signaling a fierce, chaotic engagement.