Shloka 31
भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति उपालम्भः
Bhīṣma’s Reproof to Duryodhana
संदश्य दशनैरोष्ठं सक्किणी परिसंलिहन् । शरवर्षेण महता दुर्योधनमवाकिरत् । पर्वतं वारिधाराभि: प्रावषीव बलाहक:ः
saṃdaśya daśanair oṣṭhaṃ sakkiṇī parisaṃlihan | śaravarṣeṇa mahatā duryodhanam avākirat | parvataṃ vāridhārābhiḥ prāvṛṣīva balāhakaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Biting his lip with his teeth and licking the corners of his mouth in fierce resolve, he drew his great bow and showered Duryodhana with a massive rain of arrows—just as a monsoon cloud pours down streams of water upon a mountain peak. The image underscores how wrath and martial prowess, once unleashed, can descend with the inevitability and force of seasonal rain, intensifying the moral pressure of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner states—especially anger and aggressive resolve—manifest outwardly in action. The monsoon-cloud simile suggests an overwhelming, almost natural-force quality to violence once it is set in motion, reminding the reader that ethical restraint is crucial because unleashed fury can become indiscriminate and unstoppable.
Sañjaya describes a warrior (contextually the Hidimba’s son, Ghaṭotkaca) showing fierce determination—biting his lip and licking the corners of his mouth—then drawing his great bow and inundating Duryodhana with a heavy volley of arrows, compared to a rain cloud drenching a mountain with torrents.