Mahabharata 9.14.383 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 14, Shloka 383

Adhyāya 14: Śalya’s Missile-Pressure and the Pāṇḍava Convergence (शल्यस्य शरवर्षम्)

Devanagari script

ज्वलनाशीविषनिभै: शरैश्नैनमवाकिरत्‌ । सब प्रकारके भारोंको सहन करनेमें समर्थ, सुदृढ़ एवं उत्तम धनुषको खींचकर सुरथने अग्नि और विषैले सर्पोके समान भयंकर बाणोंकी वर्षा करके अश्वत्थामाको ढक दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | jvalanāśīviṣanibhaiḥ śaraiś cainam avākirat |

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—అన్ని రకాల ఒత్తిడిని భరించగల దృఢమైన ఉత్తమ ధనుస్సును లాగి, సురథుడు అగ్నివలె మరియు విషసర్పాలవలె భయంకరమైన బాణాలను చుట్టూరా కురిపించి ద్రౌణి అశ్వత్థాముని పూర్తిగా కప్పివేశాడు।

Word by Word

• ज्वलनाशीविषनिभैः: with (arrows) like fire and venomous serpents
• ज्वलनाशीविषनिभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलन-आशीविष-निभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाकिरत्: showered/covered (with missiles)
• अवाकिरत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (किरति)
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Suratha
• Aśvatthāmā
• bow (dhanus)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how martial excellence—strength, endurance, and skill with the bow—can become an instrument of overwhelming harm when war dominates. It implicitly invites reflection on dharma under pressure: even rightful prowess, when driven by battlefield necessity, tends to eclipse restraint and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Suratha drawing his powerful bow and unleashing a dense shower of terrifying arrows, compared to fire and venomous serpents, so that Aśvatthāmā is effectively covered and hemmed in by the missile-storm.