Shloka 42
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
ते शरा मद्रराजेन प्रेषिता रणमूर्थनि । सम्पतन्तः सम दृश्यन्ते शलभानां व्रजा इव,युद्धके मुहानेपर मद्रराजके चलाये हुए वे बाण शलभसमूहोंके समान गिरते दिखायी देते थे
te śarā madrarājena preṣitā raṇamūrdhani | sampatantaḥ sama dṛśyante śalabhānāṃ vrajā iva ||
Sañjaya sprach: Ganz vorn auf dem Schlachtfeld stürzten die vom König von Madra abgeschossenen Pfeile in so dichter Folge herab, dass sie wie Schwärme von Heuschrecken erschienen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to convey how concentrated martial force can overwhelm a battlefield. Implicitly, it invites reflection on the ethical gravity of warfare: even when undertaken as kṣatriya-dharma, violence manifests as a destructive flood that demands sobriety and responsibility.
Sañjaya describes the battle scene: the king of Madra (Śalya) shoots arrows at the battlefront, and their massed descent appears like swarms of locusts, emphasizing the intensity and volume of his attack.