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Shloka 1

Devanagari script

संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! भीमसेनको उस अस्त्रसे घिरा हुआ देख अर्जुनने उन्हें उसके तेजका निवारण करनेके लिये वारुणास्त्रसे ढक दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca—rājan! bhīmasenaṃ tam astrena parivṛtaṃ dṛṣṭvā arjunaḥ tasya tejo nivārayituṃ vāruṇāstreṇa ācchādayām āsa.

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Ô roi ! Voyant Bhīmasena cerné et pressé par cette arme, Arjuna le couvrit du Varuṇa-astra afin d’en contenir et d’en neutraliser l’ardeur flamboyante.

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

कथयतिsays/tells

राजन्O king

भीमसेनम्Bhimasena

तम्him

अस्त्रेणby/with a weapon (astra)

घिरम्surrounded/encircled

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

अर्जुनःArjuna

तस्यof it/of him

तेजःsplendor/energy (power)

निवारणम्warding off/neutralization

कर्तुम्to do/to make

वारुणास्त्रेणwith the Varuna-weapon (water-weapon)

आच्छादयामासcovered/veiled

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Arjuna

Astra (divine weapon)

Vāruṇāstra (Varuṇa’s weapon)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, power should be governed by dharma: a warrior’s strength is shown not only in attack but in timely protection and in restraining destructive forces through appropriate, proportionate countermeasures.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhima is caught within the effect of a powerful astra. Arjuna responds by deploying the Vāruṇāstra, whose watery/quenching force covers Bhima and suppresses the weapon’s fiery energy, saving him from its impact.