Mahabharata 9.13.42 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 42
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
ते शरा मद्रराजेन प्रेषिता रणमूर्थनि । सम्पतन्तः सम दृश्यन्ते शलभानां व्रजा इव,युद्धके मुहानेपर मद्रराजके चलाये हुए वे बाण शलभसमूहोंके समान गिरते दिखायी देते थे
te śarā madrarājena preṣitā raṇamūrdhani | sampatantaḥ sama dṛśyante śalabhānāṃ vrajā iva ||
Sañjaya berkata: Di barisan hadapan medan perang, anak-anak panah yang dilepaskan oleh raja Madra turun bertubi-tubi begitu rapat sehingga kelihatan seperti kawanan belalang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to convey how concentrated martial force can overwhelm a battlefield. Implicitly, it invites reflection on the ethical gravity of warfare: even when undertaken as kṣatriya-dharma, violence manifests as a destructive flood that demands sobriety and responsibility.
Sañjaya describes the battle scene: the king of Madra (Śalya) shoots arrows at the battlefront, and their massed descent appears like swarms of locusts, emphasizing the intensity and volume of his attack.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.