Shloka 54
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
Devanagari script
अभ्मशभि श्षाभ्यवर्षन्त प्रदीप्तैश्न तथोल्मुकै:ः
Transliteration
abhramaśabhiḥ śilābhir varṣanta pradīptaiś ca tatholmukaiḥ
Translation
ビーシュマは言った。「彼らは石を、燃えさかる飛び道具を、さらに火のついた松明までも雨のごとく降らせた。まるで滅びの嵐が落ちてくるかのように。」
Word by Word
अश्मभिःwith stones
अश्मभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअश्मन्
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
शरैःwith arrows
शरैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशर
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
अभ्यवर्षन्they rained down (upon)
अभ्यवर्षन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-√वृष्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural
प्रदीप्तैःwith blazing (ones)
प्रदीप्तैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रदीप्त
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
तथाand also / likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
उल्मुकैःwith firebrands
उल्मुकैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootउल्मुक
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaS
stones (śilā)F
firebrands (ulmuka)B
blazing missiles/weapons (pradīpta-)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the destructive momentum of violence: once conflict escalates, it manifests as indiscriminate showers of lethal force, reminding the listener of the ethical gravity and consequences that dharma seeks to restrain.
Bhīṣma describes an intense assault in which combatants hurl stones and blazing weapons, including burning brands, creating an image of a devastating ‘rain’ of projectiles.