Mahabharata 7.18.16 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 18, Shloka 16
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १८: संशप्तकगणयुद्धे अर्जुनस्यास्त्रप्रयोगः
Drona Parva, Chapter 18: Arjuna’s astra-deployment against the Saṃśaptakas
ततः शरसहस्राणि प्रापतन्नर्जुनं प्रति । भ्रमराणामिव व्राता: फुल्लं द्रमगणं वने,तत्पश्चात् अर्जुनपर एक ही साथ हजारों बाण गिरे, मानो वनमें फूले हुए वृक्षपर भौंरोंके समूह आ गिरे हों
tataḥ śarasahasrāṇi prāpatann arjunaṃ prati | bhramarāṇām iva vrātāḥ phullaṃ dramagaṇaṃ vane ||
Sañjaya sprach: Da fielen tausende Pfeile zugleich auf Arjuna herab, wie Schwärme von Bienen, die sich auf einen Baumhain im Wald stürzen, wenn er in voller Blüte steht. Das Bild unterstreicht die überwältigende, geballte Gewalt des Schlachtfeldes, wo Können und Entschlossenheit im Sturm der Waffen geprüft werden.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, a warrior may face overwhelming force; the ethical pressure lies in maintaining steadiness and disciplined action amid chaos, rather than being shaken by sheer intensity.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna is suddenly targeted by a massive, simultaneous rain of arrows, compared to swarms of bees descending on blossoming trees—an image of concentrated attack and battlefield peril.
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