Shloka 54

Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ

After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana

Devanagari script

परिवार्यार्जुनं संख्ये तव पुत्रर्महारथ: । शरै: संछादयामास मेघैरिव दिवाकरम्‌

Transliteration

parivāryārjunaṃ saṅkhye tava putro mahārathaḥ | śaraiḥ saṃchādayāmāsa meghair iva divākaram ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Di tengah pertempuran, putera tuanku—pahlawan kereta perang agung—mengepung Arjuna dari segala arah lalu menyelubunginya dengan hujan anak panah yang lebat, seperti awan menutupi matahari.

Word by Word

• परिवार्य: having surrounded/encircled
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√वृ (वृञ् वरणे/वृणोति) → परिवार्य (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे), कर्तरि, true

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna
• अर्जुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, Second

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महारथः: great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• संछादयामास: covered/veiled
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√छद् (छादयति) / छद् (आच्छादने)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपदम्) — कथानक-परिप्रेक्ष्ये परोक्षभूतार्थे, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मेघैः: with clouds
• मेघैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव
• Form: true

• दिवाकरम्: the sun
• दिवाकरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')
• tava putra (Duryodhana implied)
• arrows (śara)
• sun (divākara)
• clouds (megha)
• battlefield (saṅkhya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the volatility of battlefield fortune: even a celebrated warrior can be temporarily overwhelmed by coordinated force. Ethically, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—martial excellence and tactical success do not by themselves settle the question of dharma; they unfold within a war shaped by duty, loyalty, and contested righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes your son, a great chariot-warrior, moving to confront Arjuna and surrounding him in battle, then showering him with arrows so densely that Arjuna is obscured—likened to the sun being hidden by clouds.