Shloka 30
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
द्रोणस्तु समरे वीर निर्दहन्तं सुतांस्तव | यथाद्रिं वारिधाराभि: समन्ताद् व्यकिरच्छरै:,तदनन्तर युद्धस्थलमें आपके पुत्रोंको दग्ध करते हुए वीर भीमसेनपर द्रोणाचार्यने सब ओरसे उसी प्रकार बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ की, जैसे बादल पर्वतपर जलकी धाराएँ गिराते हैं
droṇas tu samare vīra nirdahantaṃ sutāṃs tava | yathādriṃ vāridhārābhiḥ samantād vyakirac charaiḥ ||
Sanjaya said: In the thick of battle, O hero, as Bhima was scorching your sons, Drona showered him from every side with volleys of arrows—just as rain-clouds pour streams of water all around upon a mountain. The image underscores the war’s relentless reciprocity: fierce prowess answered by an even more encompassing counterstroke, where skill and duty to one’s side drive the combatants onward despite the mounting ruin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare escalates through reciprocal duty and prowess: Bhima’s devastation of the Kauravas is met by Drona’s all-encompassing counterattack. Ethically, it reflects the grim momentum of kṣatriya-dharma in battle—skill and obligation propel action even when the outcome is widespread suffering.
Bhima is cutting down (figuratively ‘burning’) Dhritarashtra’s sons on the battlefield. In response, Drona surrounds Bhima with a dense rain-like barrage of arrows from every direction, compared to rain-clouds pouring water on a mountain.