Shloka 306

Devanagari script

अनेकैरिषुसड्घातैरन्तरिक्षे ववर्ष ह । भरतश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! अर्जुन उस समय कर्णि

Transliteration

anekair iṣu-saṅghātair antarikṣe vavarṣa ha | bharataśreṣṭha janamejaya! arjunaḥ tasmin samaye karṇī-nālīka-nārācādīn bāṇān vavarṣa | pipāsayā pīḍitaḥ arjunaḥ katipayān amoghān bāṇān prayujya ākāśe 'pi bahuśaḥ bāṇa-saṅghāta-varṣaṃ cakāra |

Translation

Ô Janamejaya, le meilleur des Bhārata ! En ce temps-là, Arjuna fit pleuvoir dans les airs d’innombrables volées de flèches—karṇī, nālīka, nārāca et autres. Tourmenté par la soif, il n’en usa pas moins de traits infaillibles, et, maintes fois, fit du ciel même une averse de flèches groupées.

Word by Word

• अनेकैः: with many
• अनेकैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• इषु-संघातैः: with masses/volleys of arrows
• इषु-संघातैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु-संघात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्तरिक्षे: in the sky/atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ववर्ष: rained down / showered
• ववर्ष: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृष्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• यक्ष (Yakṣa)
• जनमेजय (Janamejaya)
• अर्जुन (Arjuna)
• बाण (arrows)
• कर्णी (karṇī-arrow)
• नालीक (nālīka-arrow)
• नाराच (nārāca-arrow)
• अन्तरिक्ष (the sky/mid-air)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even extraordinary capability operates within human constraints: Arjuna’s unmatched martial skill is shown alongside the bodily pressure of thirst. The verse highlights steadfast effort under hardship, while implicitly reminding that physical needs and limits persist even for heroes.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Yakṣa describes Arjuna unleashing repeated volleys of various specialized arrows—karṇī, nālīka, and nārāca—so densely that they seem to rain through the sky. Despite being distressed by thirst, Arjuna continues to deploy unfailing shafts and produces multiple showers of arrow-clusters.