Shloka 94
अवाकीर्यत स क्षिप्रं शरै: शतसहसत्रश: । इसी तरह अअश्वत्थामाके छोड़े हुए झुकी हुई गाँठवाले लाखों बाणोंसे भीमसेन भी तत्काल ढक गये ।। स च्छाद्यमान: समरे द्रौणिना रणशालिना
sañjaya uvāca |
avākīryata sa kṣipraṃ śaraiḥ śata-sahasraśaḥ |
sa cchādyamānaḥ samare drauṇinā raṇaśālinā ||
Sañjaya said: He was swiftly overwhelmed, as hundreds of thousands of arrows were poured upon him. Thus, on the battlefield, Bhīmasena—being covered over by the arrows released by Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, a master of war—found himself momentarily veiled beneath that relentless missile-storm. The scene underscores the brutal momentum of combat, where prowess is measured not only by strength but by endurance under overwhelming force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of dharma-yuddha as experienced on the ground: even the mighty can be temporarily overwhelmed by sheer force. Ethically, it points to the need for steadiness and resilience amid violence, and to the sobering fact that martial excellence can magnify destruction when driven by enmity.
Sañjaya narrates that Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son) rapidly releases an immense volley of arrows, so dense that the targeted warrior—contextually Bhīmasena—is covered/hidden by them in the battle.