Shloka 55

Devanagari script

तत: क्षणेन क्षितिपा: क्षतजप्रतिमेक्षणा: । कर्ण ववर्षुर्बाणौचैर्यथा मेघा महीधरम्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ kṣaṇena kṣitipāḥ kṣatajapratimekṣaṇāḥ | karṇaṁ vavarṣur bāṇaughair yathā meghā mahīdharam ||

Translation

তৎক্ষণাৎ ক্রোধে রক্তবর্ণ নেত্রবিশিষ্ট রাজারা কর্ণের উপর তীরের প্রবল বর্ষণ করল—যেমন জলধর মেঘ পর্বতের উপর অঝোর ধারায় বৃষ্টি ঝরায়।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: avyaya

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• क्षितिपाः: kings
• क्षितिपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षितिप
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• क्षतज-प्रतिम-ईक्षणाः: having eyes like blood (blood-red-eyed)
• क्षतज-प्रतिम-ईक्षणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षतज + प्रतिम + ईक्षण
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• ववर्षुः: rained down, showered
• ववर्षुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृष् (वर्षति)
• Form: perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, plural, parasmaipada

• बाण-ओघैः: with floods/masses of arrows
• बाण-ओघैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण + ओघ
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: avyaya

• मेघाः: clouds
• मेघाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• महीधरम्: mountain
• महीधरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीधर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Karna
• Panchala kings (implied by context)
• arrows
• clouds
• mountain

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how wrath can rapidly intensify conflict: many rulers, driven by anger, unite to unleash disproportionate force. It implicitly cautions that krodha in war eclipses restraint and turns combat into a storm of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the Panchala-aligned kings, their eyes reddened with rage, suddenly showering Karṇa with dense volleys of arrows—likened to clouds raining upon a mountain.