तपान्ते जलदो यद्धच्छरधारा: क्षरन् मुहुः । दिव्यास्त्रजलद: कर्ण: पर्जन्य इव वृष्टिमान्,जैसे वर्षाकालमें बरसनेवाला मेघ पानीकी धारा गिराता है, उसी प्रकार दिव्यास्त्ररूपी जल प्रदान करनेवाला कर्णरूपी मेघ बारंबार बाणधाराकी वर्षा करता रहता है
tapānte jalado yaddhaccharadhārāḥ kṣaran muhuḥ | divyāstrajaladaḥ karṇaḥ parjanya iva vṛṣṭimān |
Tel un nuage de pluie, chauffé par l’ardeur de la saison, qui verse sans cesse des nappes d’eau, ainsi Karṇa—pareil à un nuage dispensateur des eaux des armes divines—ne cesse de déverser, encore et encore, des torrents de flèches, emplissant le champ de bataille d’une tempête guerrière ininterrompue.
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
The verse highlights the overwhelming, almost natural-force-like momentum of martial power: when skill is joined with divine weaponry, violence can become relentless like monsoon rain. Ethically, it underscores how war magnifies capability into devastation, reminding the listener that prowess, though admirable, carries grave consequences on the battlefield.
Vāyudeva describes Karṇa’s combat: Karṇa repeatedly releases dense volleys of arrows, likened to a rain-cloud pouring water. The comparison emphasizes the continuity and intensity of his attack, as if the battlefield is under a storm of missiles.