Shloka 38

कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः

Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यं छादयन्तौ सम शरवृष्ट्या महारथौ । शराम्बुधारौ समरे शस्त्रविद्युत्प्रकाशिनौ

Transliteration

anyonyam chādayantau samaśaravṛṣṭyā mahārathau | śarāmbudhārau samare śastravidyutprakāśinau ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—ఆ ఇద్దరు మహారథులు సమానమైన బాణవర్షంతో ఒకరినొకరు కప్పివేసిరి. సమరంలో వారు ఆయుధరూప విద్యుత్తుతో ప్రకాశిస్తూ, బాణరూప జలధారలను మోసుకొనే మేఘాలవలె కనిపించిరి।

Word by Word

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, each other
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative usage)

• छादयन्तौ: covering, concealing
• छादयन्तौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छादय् (छाद्) / छादन
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), nominative masculine dual

• समम्: equally, evenly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• शरवृष्ट्या: by a shower of arrows
• शरवृष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, instrumental singular

• महारथौ: the two great chariot-warriors
• महारथौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, nominative dual

• शराम्बुधारौ: having streams of arrow-water (i.e., torrents of arrows)
• शराम्बुधारौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शराम्बुधार
• Form: Masculine, nominative dual

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, locative singular

• शस्त्रविद्युत्प्रकाशिनौ: shining with weapon-lightning
• शस्त्रविद्युत्प्रकाशिनौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त्रविद्युत्प्रकाशिन्
• Form: Masculine, nominative dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• two mahārathas (the two opposing great warriors)
• arrows (śara)
• weapons (śastra)
• clouds/rain-torrents (metaphor: śarāmbudhāra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the intensity and symmetry of martial contest: when power meets power, the battlefield becomes a spectacle of skill and force. Ethically, it underscores how war magnifies human capability into destructive brilliance—inviting reflection on the cost of prowess when directed toward mutual harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes a duel between two elite chariot-warriors. Each releases such a dense and equal rain of arrows that they obscure one another, appearing like storm-clouds bearing torrents, flashing with the lightning-like gleam of their weapons.