Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एवमासीत्‌ तदा वीरे शरवर्षेण संवृते । फाल्गुने भरतश्रेष्ठ तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्‌,भरतश्रेष्ठ] वीर अर्जुनके उस समय शत्रुओंकी बाण-वर्षसे आच्छादित हो जानेपर ऐसे-ऐसे उत्पात प्रकट होने लगे। वह अद्भुत-सी बात हुई

Transliteration

evam 1st tad1 vre baravarea savte | ph1lgune bharatabretha tad adbhutam iv1bhavat ||

Translation

Vaibamp1yana said: Thus it was then, O best of the Bharatas: when the hero Ph1lguna (Arjuna) was covered by a rain of arrows, the scene appeared wondrous1as though something extraordinary had come to pass. The passage underscores how, amid the violence of battle, events can take on an uncanny, portent-like character, testing steadiness and discernment in the face of fear and spectacle.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

आसीत्was

तदाthen, at that time

वीरेin/with regard to the hero

शर-वर्षेणby a rain of arrows

संवृतेcovered, enveloped

फाल्गुनेin/with regard to Phalguna (Arjuna)

भरत-श्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas

तत्that

अद्भुतम्wonderful, astonishing

इवas if, like

अभवत्became, happened

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaibamp1yana

Ph1lguna (Arjuna)

Bharatabretha (epithet addressing the listener, commonly Janamejaya)

arrow-shower (śaravarṣa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how intense conflict can appear uncanny and overwhelming; ethical steadiness in war requires not being swept away by fear or spectacle, but maintaining discernment amid extraordinary events.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaibamp1yana describes Arjuna (Ph1lguna) being enveloped by a rain of enemy arrows, making the moment seem astonishing or portent-like to observers.