Shloka 4

अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया

Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall

Devanagari script

कृपेण शरवर्षाणि प्रतिमुक्तानि संयुगे । सृञ्जयांश्छादयामासु: शलभानां व्रजा इव,कृपाचार्यने युद्धस्थलमें बाणोंकी बड़ी भारी वर्षा की। उन बाणोंने टिड्डीदलोंके समान सृंजयोंको आच्छादित कर दिया

Transliteration

kṛpeṇa śaravarṣāṇi pratimuktāni saṁyuge | sṛñjayāñ chādayāmāsuḥ śalabhānāṁ vrajā iva ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Di tengah pertempuran, Kṛpa melepaskan hujan anak panah sebagai balasan; dan anak panah itu menyelubungi kaum Sṛñjaya bagaikan kawanan belalang menutupi langit.

Word by Word

• कृपेण: by Kripa
• कृपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शरवर्षाणि: showers of arrows
• शरवर्षाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• प्रतिमुक्तानि: shot forth, discharged
• प्रतिमुक्तानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिमुच् (धातु) / प्रतिमुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सृञ्जयान्: the Srijayas
• सृञ्जयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृञ्जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• छादयामासुः: they covered
• छादयामासुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छाद् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Plural

• शलभानाम्: of locusts
• शलभानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शलभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• व्रजाः: swarms, multitudes
• व्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Sṛñjayas
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the overwhelming, collective nature of warfare: individual warriors become part of a larger, duty-driven mechanism where martial competence (here, Kṛpa’s archery) can engulf entire formations. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma—steadfast performance of one’s role—while also highlighting the human cost implied by such totalizing force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya) unleashing dense volleys of arrows during the battle, so thick that the Sṛñjayas are said to be covered by them, likened to how locust swarms blanket everything in their path.