Shloka 64

Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

ते शरैर्भीमकर्माणं ववर्षु: पाण्डवं युधि । मेघा इवातपापाये धाराभिर्धरणीधरम्‌

Transliteration

te śaraiḥ bhīmakarmāṇaṁ vavarṣuḥ pāṇḍavaṁ yudhi | meghā ivātapāpāye dhārābhir dharaṇīdharam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle they showered the Pāṇḍava of dreadful deeds with arrows, as rain-clouds at the end of the hot season pour down torrents upon a mountain—an image of relentless assault met by steadfast endurance amid the demands of war and duty.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• भीमकर्माणम्: the doer of terrible deeds (mighty in action)
• भीमकर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीमकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ववर्षुः: rained down (poured)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural

• पाण्डवम्: the Pandava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• मेघाः: clouds
• मेघाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आतपापाये: at the disappearance of heat (when the sun’s heat abates)
• आतपापाये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतपापाय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• धाराभिः: with streams (of rain)
• धाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• धरणीधरम्: a mountain (earth-holder)
• धरणीधरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणीधर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava (a son of Pāṇḍu)
• arrows (śara)
• clouds (megha)
• mountain (dharaṇīdhara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness under overwhelming pressure: in dharmic warfare, a great warrior must endure repeated assaults without losing resolve, just as a mountain remains unmoved while torrents fall upon it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes how opposing fighters unleash a dense volley of arrows at a formidable Pāṇḍava on the battlefield, comparing the arrow-shower to monsoon-like torrents striking a mountain at the close of summer.