Shloka 77

Devanagari script

प्राच्छादयंस्ते विशिखै: पृषत्कै- जीमूतसंघा नभसीव सूर्यम्‌

Transliteration

prācchādayaṃs te viśikhaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ jīmūtasaṅghā nabhasīva sūryam

Translation

Sañjaya said: With their sharp arrows and darts they so completely covered him, as masses of clouds in the sky cover the sun—an image of the battlefield’s moral darkness, where valor is tested amid overwhelming force and the light of life is momentarily obscured.

Word by Word

• प्राच्छादयन्: they were covering
• प्राच्छादयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आ-छाद्
• Form: लट् (present), 3rd, plural, परस्मैपदम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• विशिखैः: with arrows
• विशिखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशिख
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• पृषत्कैः: with darts/shafts
• पृषत्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्क
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• जीमूत-संघाः: masses of clouds
• जीमूत-संघाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीमूत-संघ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• नभसि: in the sky
• नभसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• सूर्यम्: the sun
• सूर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• सूर्य (the Sun)
• जीमूतसंघ (cloud-masses)
• विशिख (arrows)
• पृषत्क (darts/projectiles)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a vivid simile—clouds covering the sun—to convey how concentrated violence can eclipse clarity and life’s ‘light’; ethically, it highlights the tragic power of collective aggression and the testing of steadfastness under overwhelming assault.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior being showered with arrows and darts so densely that he is ‘covered’ by missiles, just as the sun is hidden when thick cloud-banks gather in the sky.