Shloka 10

कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः

Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory

Devanagari script

तथैव पाण्डवो युद्धे द्रौर्णि शरशतै: शितै: । नाकम्पयत संहृष्टो वार्योच इव पर्वतम्‌,इसी प्रकार हर्ष और उत्साहमें भरे हुए पाण्डुपुत्र भीमसेन भी युद्धमें सैकड़ों तीखे बाणोंका प्रहार करके द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाको विचलित न कर सके। ठीक उसी तरह, जैसे जलका महान्‌ प्रवाह किसी पर्वतको हिला-डुला नहीं सकता

Transliteration

tathaiva pāṇḍavo yuddhe drauṇiṁ śaraśataiḥ śitaiḥ | nākampayata saṁhṛṣṭo vāryogha iva parvatam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Even so, the Pāṇḍava in the battle—exultant and full of ardor—could not shake Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman, though he struck him with hundreds of keen arrows; just as a mighty rush of water cannot make a mountain tremble.”

Word by Word

• {'tathā eva': 'just so

• in the same manner', 'pāṇḍavaḥ': 'the Pāṇḍava (here, Bhīmasena as per context/tradition)', 'yuddhe': 'in battle', 'drauṇim': 'Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman)', 'śara-śataiḥ': 'with hundreds of arrows', 'śitaiḥ': 'sharp, keen', 'na akampayata': 'did not cause to tremble

• could not shake', 'saṁhṛṣṭaḥ': 'delighted, exhilarated

• filled with zeal', 'vāryoghaḥ': 'a flood/strong current of water', 'iva': 'like

• as', 'parvatam': 'a mountain'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena)
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)
• arrows (śara)
• mountain (parvata)
• flood/current of water (vāryogha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfastness can render even intense effort ineffective in the moment; in the ethics of battle, courage must be joined with strategy and endurance, since a resolute warrior may remain unmoved like a mountain despite heavy assault.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍava (understood here as Bhīma) showers Aśvatthāman with hundreds of sharp arrows, yet Aśvatthāman does not waver, compared to a mountain that cannot be shaken by a powerful surge of water.