Shloka 64

Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

ते शरैर्भीमकर्माणं ववर्षु: पाण्डवं युधि । मेघा इवातपापाये धाराभिर्धरणीधरम्‌

Transliteration

te śaraiḥ bhīmakarmāṇaṁ vavarṣuḥ pāṇḍavaṁ yudhi | meghā ivātapāpāye dhārābhir dharaṇīdharam ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Dans la mêlée, ils accablèrent de flèches le Pāṇḍava aux actes terribles, comme les nuages de pluie, à la fin de la saison chaude, déversent des torrents sur une montagne.

Word by Word

तेthey

शरैःwith arrows

भीमकर्माणम्the doer of terrible deeds (mighty in action)

ववर्षुःrained down (poured)

पाण्डवम्the Pandava (Arjuna)

युधिin battle

मेघाःclouds

इवlike, as

आतपापायेat the disappearance of heat (when the sun’s heat abates)

धाराभिःwith streams (of rain)

धरणीधरम्a mountain (earth-holder)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍava (a son of Pāṇḍu)

arrows (śara)

clouds (megha)

mountain (dharaṇīdhara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness under overwhelming pressure: in dharmic warfare, a great warrior must endure repeated assaults without losing resolve, just as a mountain remains unmoved while torrents fall upon it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes how opposing fighters unleash a dense volley of arrows at a formidable Pāṇḍava on the battlefield, comparing the arrow-shower to monsoon-like torrents striking a mountain at the close of summer.