Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ततः शरसहस्राणि बहूनि भरतर्षभ | प्रेषयामास समरे द्रौणि: परमकोपन:,भरतश्रेष्ठ) तब परम क्रोधी अश्वत्थामाने समरभूमिमें शिखण्डीपर कई हजार बाणोंकी वर्षा की

Transliteration

tataḥ śarasahasrāṇi bahūni bharatarṣabha | preṣayāmāsa samare drauṇiḥ paramakopanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, O bull among the Bharatas, the son of Droṇa—seized by extreme wrath—sent forth in the battle many thousands of arrows, unleashing a fierce volley against his foe.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

शर-सहस्राणिthousands of arrows

बहूनिmany

भरत-ऋषभO bull of the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)

प्रेषयामासsent, discharged

समरेin battle

द्रौणिःDrauni (son of Drona; Ashvatthaman)

परम-कोपनःextremely wrathful

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied addressee via bharatarṣabha)

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)

Droṇa

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how uncontrolled anger (kopa) intensifies violence: even legitimate warrior prowess, when driven by wrath, becomes a force of excessive destruction, warning that inner discipline is essential to dharma in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā), in great fury, releases a massive volley—thousands of arrows—during the battle, escalating the combat’s ferocity.