Shloka 17

शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host

with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter

Devanagari script

पद्भ्यामापततस्तस्य शरवृष्टिं समासृजत्‌

Transliteration

padbhyām āpatatas tasya śaravṛṣṭiṃ samāsṛjat

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവൻ കാൽനടയായി പാഞ്ഞെത്തി അവന്റെ മേൽ അമ്പുവർഷം ചൊരിഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• पद्भ्याम्: with (his) two feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Dual

• आपततः: of (him) rushing/falling upon
• आपततः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + पत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular, Present active participle (शतृ)

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• शरवृष्टिम्: a shower of arrows
• शरवृष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• समासृजत्: he discharged / let loose
• समासृजत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + सृज्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrows (śara)
• shower/volley of arrows (śaravṛṣṭi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the warrior ethic (kṣatriya-dharma): in the midst of a righteous yet tragic conflict, resolve and disciplined skill are expected, even when the act itself is violent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a battlefield moment: a fighter advances on foot and releases a dense volley—described as an ‘arrow-rain’—against his opponent.