Shloka 121

Devanagari script

ततो<स्त्रमायया तूर्ण शरवृष्टिं निवार्य ताम्‌ । धनुश्विच्छेद भीमस्य द्रोणपुत्रो महास्त्रवित्‌

Transliteration

tato 'stramāyayā tūrṇaṁ śaravṛṣṭiṁ nivārya tām | dhanuś ciccheda bhīmasya droṇaputro mahāstravit ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಆಗ ದ್ರೋಣಪುತ್ರನು ಅಸ್ತ್ರವಿದ್ಯೆಯ ಮಾಯಾ-ಯುಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ತ್ವರಿತವಾಗಿ ಆ ಬಾಣವೃಷ್ಟಿಯನ್ನು ತಡೆದನು; ಮತ್ತು ಮಹಾಸ್ತ್ರವಿತನಾಗಿ ಭೀಮನ ಧನುಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

अस्त्रमाययाby weapon-magic/illusion of weapons

तूर्णम्swiftly

शरवृष्टिम्shower of arrows

निवार्यhaving warded off

ताम्that (shower)

धनुःbow

विच्छेदम्cutting, severing

भीमस्यof Bhima

द्रोणपुत्रःDrona's son (Ashvatthaman)

महास्त्रवित्great wielder of weapons

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīma

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāman)

bow (dhanuḥ)

arrow-shower (śaravṛṣṭi)

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

What is the core teaching?

In battle, mastery and restraint can be more decisive than raw aggression: neutralizing an opponent’s attack and disarming him changes the course of conflict with minimal immediate bloodshed, illustrating the power—and moral ambiguity—of superior technique in kṣatriya warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma unleashes a heavy shower of arrows. Aśvatthāman swiftly counters it through skilled weapon-technique, then severs Bhīma’s bow, effectively disarming him and gaining tactical advantage.