Shloka 18
शरधाराश्मवर्षाणि व्यसृजत् सर्वतो दिशम् | निघ्नन् रथवराश्वौघान् प्लावयामास वाहिनीम्,उस समय धृष्टद्युम्न एक महामेघके समान जान पड़ते थे। उनकी तलवार पुरवैया हवाके समान चल रही थी। वे शक्ति, प्रास एवं ऋष्टि आदि अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंसे सम्पन्न थे। उनकी प्रत्यंचा विद्युतके समान प्रकाशित होती थी। धनुषकी टंकार मेघगर्जनाके समान जान पड़ती थी। उस धृष्टद्युम्नरूपी मेघने श्रेष्ठ रथी और घुड़सवारोंके समूहरूपी खेतीको नष्ट करनेके लिये सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें बाणरूपी जलकी धारा और अस्त्र-शस्त्ररूपी पत्थर बरसाते हुए शत्रु-सेनाको आप्लावित कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
śaradhārāśmavarṣāṇi vyasṛjat sarvato diśam |
nighnan rathavarāśvaughān plāvayāmāsa vāhinīm ||
Sañjaya said: He sent forth, in every direction, showers of arrows and volleys like a rain of stones. Striking down masses of excellent chariot-warriors and surging troops of horsemen, he flooded and overwhelmed the opposing host. The verse underscores the terrifying momentum of battle—prowess used to break formations—while also hinting at the moral weight of war, where skill becomes an instrument of widespread destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily conveys the overwhelming force of martial skill in war: concentrated prowess can ‘flood’ an army and shatter elite units. Ethically, it also reminds the reader that battlefield excellence, though celebrated, manifests as large-scale harm—inviting reflection on the cost of kṣatriya duty and the tragic magnitude of conflict.
Sañjaya describes a warrior unleashing dense volleys—like streams of arrows and a rain of stones—across all directions, cutting down groups of chariot-fighters and horsemen and thereby overwhelming the enemy formation.