Shloka 24
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
तावभ्यधावतां तीक्ष्णौ द्वावप्येनं महारथम् | शरौघान् सम्यगस्यन्तौ जीमूती सलिलं यथा
tāv abhyadhāvatāṁ tīkṣṇau dvāv apy enaṁ mahāratham | śaraughān samyag asyantau jīmūtī salilaṁ yathā ||
Sañjaya dit : Ces deux guerriers farouches se ruèrent sur ce grand combattant de char et, visant juste, déversèrent sur lui des volées de flèches—telles deux nuées de pluie laissant tomber des filets d’eau.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how disciplined aim (samyak) and coordinated aggression can become overwhelming force; ethically, it reflects the harsh reality of dharma-yuddha where prowess and duty operate within a violent arena, and Sañjaya’s simile frames the act as natural and unstoppable like rain.
Two fierce warriors charge a single great chariot-fighter (contextually Nakula) and shower him with well-aimed volleys of arrows, compared to two clouds pouring down continuous rain.