Shloka 94

Devanagari script

अवाकीर्यत स क्षिप्रं शरै: शतसहसत्रश: । इसी तरह अअश्वत्थामाके छोड़े हुए झुकी हुई गाँठवाले लाखों बाणोंसे भीमसेन भी तत्काल ढक गये ।। स च्छाद्यमान: समरे द्रौणिना रणशालिना

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

avākīryata sa kṣipraṃ śaraiḥ śata-sahasraśaḥ |

sa cchādyamānaḥ samare drauṇinā raṇaśālinā ||

Translation

Sanjaya berkata: Ia seketika tertimbun, ketika ratusan ribu anak panah ditumpahkan ke arahnya. Demikianlah, di medan laga, Bhimasena segera terselubung oleh panah-panah tak terbilang—berbuku-buku dan melengkung—yang dilepaskan oleh Aśvatthāmā, putra Droṇa, sang mahir perang.

Word by Word

अवाकीर्यतwas covered/strewn over

सःhe

क्षिप्रम्quickly

शरैःwith arrows

शतसहस्रशःby hundreds and thousands; in hundreds of thousands

सःhe

च्छाद्यमानःbeing covered

समरेin battle

द्रौणिनाby the son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāman)

रणशालिनाskilled/adept in battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi, son of Droṇa)

Bhīmasena

arrows (śara)

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?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of dharma-yuddha as experienced on the ground: even the mighty can be temporarily overwhelmed by sheer force. Ethically, it points to the need for steadiness and resilience amid violence, and to the sobering fact that martial excellence can magnify destruction when driven by enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son) rapidly releases an immense volley of arrows, so dense that the targeted warrior—contextually Bhīmasena—is covered/hidden by them in the battle.