Shloka 186
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
वर्षन्त इव जीमूता: प्रत्यदृश्यन्त दंशिता: । सुवर्णकी मालाओंसे विभूषित वे सभी युद्धविशारद शूरवीर मेघोंके समान बाण-वर्षा करते हुए कवच आदिसे सुसज्जित दिखायी देते थे
varṣanta iva jīmūtāḥ pratyadṛśyanta daṃśitāḥ | suvarṇakī-mālābhiḥ vibhūṣitāḥ te sarve yuddhaviśāradāḥ śūravīrāḥ meghānām iva bāṇa-varṣāṃ kurvantaḥ kavacādibhiḥ susajjitāḥ dṛśyante sma |
Sañjaya berkata: Berzirah dan lengkap bersenjata, para wira itu—berhias kalung emas dan mahir dalam seni perang—tampak bagaikan awan sarat hujan. Seperti awan mencurahkan hujan, mereka seolah-olah mencurahkan hujan anak panah, menambah dahsyatnya gelora pertempuran.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights how war magnifies human prowess into awe-inspiring spectacle. Ethically, it underscores the Mahabharata’s recurring tension—martial excellence and splendour can coexist with destructive violence, inviting reflection on the cost of conflict even when framed within a dharma-yuddha setting.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the armoured, well-equipped warriors—adorned with golden garlands—look like rain-clouds, because they are unleashing a dense ‘rain’ of arrows on the battlefield.