Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दुःशासनश्न संक़्रुद्ध: शरवर्षैरवाकिरन्‌ । सो35तिविद्धो महेष्वास: पार्षतो युधि दुर्जय:,उस समय दुर्योधन, विकर्ण, सुबाहु, दीर्घलोचन और दुःशासन बड़े क्रोधमें भरकर बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगे। भारत! युद्धमें परास्त न होनेवाले महान धनुर्थर ट्रुपदने अत्यन्त घायल होकर तत्काल ही उन सबकी सेनाओंको अत्यन्त पीड़ित कर दिया। वे अलातचक्रकी भाँति सब ओर घूमकर दुर्योधन, विकर्ण, महाबली कर्ण, अनेक वीर राजकुमार तथा उनकी विविध सेनाओंको बाणोंसे तृप्त करने लगे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | duḥśāsanaḥ saṁkruddhaḥ śaravarṣair avākiran | so 'tividdho maheṣvāsaḥ pārṣato yudhi durjayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Enraged, Duḥśāsana showered volleys of arrows. Though grievously pierced, the great bowman Pārṣata—hard to overcome in battle—endured the assault and pressed on, showing the fierce reciprocity of war where wrath meets resilience and valor is tested amid escalating violence.

Word by Word

दुःशासनःDuhshasana

सङ्क्रुद्धःenraged

शरवर्षैःwith showers of arrows

अवाकिरन्they showered / they covered (with arrows)

सःhe

अतिविद्धःpierced severely / badly wounded

महेष्वासःthe great archer

पार्षतःthe son of Prishata (Drupada)

युधिin battle

दुर्जयःhard to conquer / unconquerable

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Duḥśāsana

Pārṣata

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how krodha (anger) fuels violence, yet true martial steadiness is shown by endurance and disciplined response even when wounded—an ethical contrast between rage-driven attack and resilient, duty-bound resistance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duḥśāsana, in fury, unleashes a heavy rain of arrows. Pārṣata, though badly struck, remains a formidable archer and continues to stand his ground in the fight.