Shloka 34

कर्णवधार्थं धनञ्जयस्य प्रतिज्ञा — Arjuna’s resolve for Karṇa’s defeat

Devanagari script

तां महास्त्रमयीं वृष्टिं संछिद्य शरवृष्टिभि:

Transliteration

tāṁ mahāstramayīṁ vṛṣṭiṁ saṁchिद्य śaravṛṣṭibhiḥ

Translation

মহাস্ত্ৰে গঠিত সেই বৰ্ষণক সি তীৰবৃষ্টিৰে ছিন্নভিন্ন কৰিলে।

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महास्त्रमयीम्: consisting of great weapons
• महास्त्रमयीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महास्त्रमयी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वृष्टिम्: shower, downpour
• वृष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• संछिद्य: having cut up / having shattered
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + छिद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• शरवृष्टिभिः: with showers of arrows
• शरवृष्टिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahāstra (celestial weapons/astrās)
• śara (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic of proportionate response and steadfastness: overwhelming force is met not with retreat but with disciplined counteraction, using skill (śaurya/kaushala) to neutralize destructive power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a combat exchange in which a barrage described as a ‘shower made of great astras’ is broken up, as the warrior counters it by releasing dense volleys—‘a rain of arrows’—to cut through and disperse the incoming weapon-storm.