Shloka 34
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
अभ्यवर्षन् महाराज मेघा इव महीधरम् | ततो दृष्ट्वा वार्यमाणं शल्यं पार्थ: समनन््ततः
sañjaya uvāca |
abhyavarṣan mahārāja meghā iva mahīdharam |
tato dṛṣṭvā vāryamāṇaṃ śalyaṃ pārthaḥ samanantataḥ |
Sañjaya sprach: „O König, sie überschütteten Śalya mit Pfeilen, wie Wolken Regen über einen Berg ergießen. Da drängte Pārtha, als er sah, dass Śalya von allen Seiten aufgehalten und eingeschlossen wurde, den Angriff aus jeder Richtung voran.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the relentless momentum of battle and the kṣatriya ethos of pressing advantage: when an opponent is checked and surrounded, the attacker intensifies effort. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s sober portrayal of war—skill and resolve operate within a tragic, escalating conflict rather than a celebratory one.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya is being overwhelmed by a dense ‘rain’ of arrows, likened to clouds pouring on a mountain. Seeing Śalya impeded and attacked from all sides, Arjuna (Pārtha) continues to assail him from every direction, tightening the pressure in the ongoing battle.