Shloka 15

भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः

Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt

Devanagari script

द्रुपद: कौरवान्‌ दृष्टवा प्राधावत समन्ततः । शरजालेन महता मोहयन्‌ कौरवीं चमूम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | drupadaḥ kauravān dṛṣṭvā prādhāvat samantataḥ | śarajālena mahatā mohayann kauravīṃ camūm |

Translation

Melihat para Kaurava, Raja Drupada menyerbu dari segala arah; dengan jala anak panah yang amat besar ia membuat bala Kaurava terbius dan kacau.

Word by Word

• द्रुपदः: Drupada
• द्रुपदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुपद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कौरवान्: the Kauravas
• कौरवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• प्राधावत: ran forth / charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-धाव्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

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

• महतā: great, massive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मोहयन्: bewildering / stupefying
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कौरवीं: Kaurava (belonging to the Kauravas)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौरवी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• चमूम्: army
• चमूम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमू
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Drupada
• Kauravas
• camū (army)
• śara (arrows)
• ratha (chariot)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how decisive courage and skill can create a moral-psychological advantage in war: a single resolute warrior, acting with speed and mastery, can disrupt a larger force by breaking its composure and cohesion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Drupada, upon seeing the Kaurava forces, launches an all-around assault and showers them with a dense barrage of arrows, bewildering their army; his prowess is so fearsome that the Kauravas feel as though they face many fighters rather than one.