Shloka 39

भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King

Devanagari script

तेडपि तं परमेष्वासा: शरवर्षरपूरयन्‌ । तडागं वारिधाराभिर्यथा प्रावृषि तोयदा:

Transliteration

Te 'pi taṁ parameṣvāsāḥ śaravarṣair apūrayann | taḍāgaṁ vāridhārābhir yathā prāvṛṣi toyadāḥ ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: Those kings too, supreme archers, showered him with torrents of arrows, as rain-bearing clouds in the monsoon fill a pond with continuous streams of water.

Word by Word

• ते: they (those)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परमेष्वासाः: supreme bowmen
• परमेष्वासाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शर-वर्षैः: with showers of arrows
• शर-वर्षैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पूरयन्: filling (covering)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूर्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तडागम्: a pond
• तडागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वारि-धाराभिः: with streams of water
• वारि-धाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारिधारा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• यथा: as, just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• प्रावृषि: in the rainy season
• प्रावृषि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रावृष्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तोयदाः: rain-clouds
• तोयदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोयद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• kings (nareśāḥ, implied by context)
• arrows (śara)
• rain-clouds (toyadāḥ)
• pond (taḍāga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness under overwhelming assault: in dharmic warfare, excellence is not only in striking but in enduring sustained pressure without losing composure or purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes multiple elite archers (kings) directing a dense barrage of arrows at Arjuna, likening the continuous missile-fire to monsoon clouds pouring water that fills a pond.