Shloka 36

कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke

Devanagari script

शरजालेन महता विद्ध्वा माधवपाण्डवौ । ननाद मुदितो द्रौणिर्महामेघौधनि:स्वनम्‌

Transliteration

śarajālena mahatā viddhvā mādhava-pāṇḍavau | nanāda mudito drauṇir mahāmeghaudhaniḥsvanam ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Ayant transpercé Mādhava et le Pāṇḍava d’un vaste filet de flèches, le fils de Droṇa, transporté de joie, poussa un rugissement dont le fracas ressemblait au tonnerre d’une grande masse de nuages de pluie.

Word by Word

• शरजालेन: with a net/mass of arrows
• शरजालेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरजाल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great, huge
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विद्ध्वा: having pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• माधव: Mādhava (Krishna)
• माधव: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डवौ: the two Pāṇḍavas (the two sons of Pāṇḍu)
• पाण्डवौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• ननाद: roared, sounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मुदितः: delighted, joyful
• मुदितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्रौणिः: Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman, son of Droṇa)
• द्रौणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महामेघौघनिःस्वनम्: a sound like the roar of a mass of great clouds
• महामेघौघनिःस्वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामेघौघनिःस्वन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Pāṇḍava (Arjuna / the Pāṇḍava warrior on Kṛṣṇa’s chariot)
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)
• net of arrows (śarajāla)
• great rain-clouds (mahāmegha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral tension of war: tactical success can produce exhilaration and boastful display, yet such exultation is ethically ambiguous. It invites reflection on self-mastery—how a warrior’s emotions (pride, triumph) can eclipse discernment about dharma and the human cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi), after striking Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava) and the Pāṇḍava warrior on the chariot with a dense barrage of arrows, becomes delighted and lets out a thunderous roar, likened to the rumbling of great rain-clouds.