Shloka 17

अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa

with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

भूयश्वैनं महाबाहु: शरै: शीघ्रमवाकिरत्‌ । पर्वतं वारिधाराभि: प्रावषीव बलाहक:ः

Transliteration

bhūyaś cainaṃ mahābāhuḥ śaraiḥ śīghram avākirat | parvataṃ vāridhārābhiḥ prāvṛṣīva balāhakaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then again the mighty-armed warrior swiftly showered him with arrows, just as a rain-cloud in the monsoon pours down streams of water upon a mountain peak. The image underscores the relentless momentum of battle—force meeting force—where prowess is displayed through disciplined martial skill rather than mere rage.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again, further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (warrior)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• अवाकिरत्: showered, scattered down
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (किरति)
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular

• पर्वतम्: a mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• वारिधाराभिः: with streams of water
• वारिधाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारिधारा
• Form: feminine, instrumental, plural

• प्रावृषा: in the rainy season / by the rains
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रावृष्
• Form: feminine, instrumental, singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• बलाहकः: a cloud
• बलाहकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाहक
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahābāhuḥ (a mighty-armed warrior)
• arrows (śara)
• rain-cloud (balāhaka)
• mountain (parvata)
• monsoon/rainy season (prāvṛṣ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights controlled, skillful exertion in a righteous contest: power is portrayed as disciplined capability (swift, sustained archery) rather than uncontrolled fury, using a natural simile to frame martial action as orderly and overwhelming.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior repeatedly and rapidly showering his opponent with arrows, comparing the arrow-storm to monsoon clouds pouring water on a mountain—an image of continuous, heavy assault in the battlefield.