Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 34

Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira

Book 9, Chapter 11

Devanagari script

अभ्यवर्षन्‌ महाराज मेघा इव महीधरम्‌ | ततो दृष्ट्वा वार्यमाणं शल्यं पार्थ: समनन्‍्ततः

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

abhyavarṣan mahārāja meghā iva mahīdharam |

tato dṛṣṭvā vāryamāṇaṃ śalyaṃ pārthaḥ samanantataḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, they showered arrows upon Śalya as clouds pour rain upon a mountain. Then Pārtha, seeing Śalya being checked and hemmed in on every side, pressed the attack from all directions.”

Word by Word

• अभ्यवर्षन्: they rained upon
• अभ्यवर्षन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√वृष्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मेघाः: clouds
• मेघाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• महीधरम्: mountain (earth-holder)
• महीधरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीधर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• वार्यमाणम्: being restrained/checked
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वारय्
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शल्यं: Shalya
• शल्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पार्थः: Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Śalya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• meghāḥ (clouds)
• mahīdhara (mountain)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the relentless momentum of battle and the kṣatriya ethos of pressing advantage: when an opponent is checked and surrounded, the attacker intensifies effort. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s sober portrayal of war—skill and resolve operate within a tragic, escalating conflict rather than a celebratory one.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Śalya is being overwhelmed by a dense ‘rain’ of arrows, likened to clouds pouring on a mountain. Seeing Śalya impeded and attacked from all sides, Arjuna (Pārtha) continues to assail him from every direction, tightening the pressure in the ongoing battle.