Shloka 18

कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः

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

Devanagari script

किरन्‌ शरशतैरुग्रैर्धाराभिरिव पर्वतम्‌ । न तु तन्ममृषे भीम: शत्रोर्विजयलक्षणम्‌

Transliteration

kiran śaraśatair ugrair dhārābhir iva parvatam | na tu tan mamṛṣe bhīmaḥ śatror vijayalakṣaṇam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Pouring forth hundreds of fierce arrows like torrents of rain upon a mountain, Bhīma still could not endure that sign of the enemy’s triumph.

Word by Word

• किरन्: scattering, pouring forth
• किरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॄ (किरति)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त-प्रयोगवत्), एकवचन, कर्तरि

• शरशतैः: with hundreds of arrows
• शरशतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर + शत
• Form: नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• उग्रैः: fierce
• उग्रैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र
• Form: नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• धाराभिः: with streams (showers)
• धाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा
• Form: स्त्री, तृतीया, बहुवचन

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

• पर्वतम्: a mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ममृषे: endured, bore
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृष् (मर्षति)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्तरि

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शत्रोः: of the enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• विजयलक्षणम्: a sign of victory
• विजयलक्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय + लक्षण
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• enemy (śatru)
• arrows (śara)
• mountain (parvata)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya value of refusing to accept an opponent’s ascendancy: Bhīma’s intolerance of the enemy’s “mark of victory” reflects a warrior’s commitment to honor, resistance, and unyielding effort even amid overwhelming missile-exchange.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where Bhīma showers fierce arrows in great numbers—likened to rain-torrents striking a mountain—yet emotionally and strategically he cannot bear seeing any indication that the enemy is gaining the upper hand.