Shloka 17

अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa

with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

भूयश्वैनं महाबाहु: शरै: शीघ्रमवाकिरत्‌ । पर्वतं वारिधाराभि: प्रावषीव बलाहक:ः

Transliteration

bhūyaś cainaṃ mahābāhuḥ śaraiḥ śīghram avākirat | parvataṃ vāridhārābhiḥ prāvṛṣīva balāhakaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian sekali lagi, pahlawan berlengan perkasa itu dengan pantas menghujani dia dengan anak panah, bagaikan awan hujan musim tengkujuh mencurahkan aliran air ke puncak gunung. Gambaran ini menegaskan momentum perang yang tidak kenal henti—daya bertemu daya—di mana keperkasaan ditunjukkan melalui kemahiran tempur yang berdisiplin, bukan semata-mata amarah.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again, further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (warrior)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• अवाकिरत्: showered, scattered down
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (किरति)
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular

• पर्वतम्: a mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• वारिधाराभिः: with streams of water
• वारिधाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारिधारा
• Form: feminine, instrumental, plural

• प्रावृषा: in the rainy season / by the rains
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रावृष्
• Form: feminine, instrumental, singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• बलाहकः: a cloud
• बलाहकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाहक
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahābāhuḥ (a mighty-armed warrior)
• arrows (śara)
• rain-cloud (balāhaka)
• mountain (parvata)
• monsoon/rainy season (prāvṛṣ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights controlled, skillful exertion in a righteous contest: power is portrayed as disciplined capability (swift, sustained archery) rather than uncontrolled fury, using a natural simile to frame martial action as orderly and overwhelming.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior repeatedly and rapidly showering his opponent with arrows, comparing the arrow-storm to monsoon clouds pouring water on a mountain—an image of continuous, heavy assault in the battlefield.