Shloka 31

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्

The Tumult of Battle Described

Devanagari script

योधास्त्वदीया: शरवर्षैरवर्षन्‌ मेघा यथा भूधरमम्बुवेगै: । तथापि त॑ धारयितुं न शेकु- मध्यन्दिने सूर्यमिवातपन्तम्‌

Transliteration

yodhās tvadīyāḥ śaravarṣair avarṣan meghā yathā bhūdharam ambuvegaiḥ | tathāpi taṃ dhārayituṃ na śekuḥ madhyandine sūryam ivātapantam ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Quân sĩ của bệ hạ trút xuống chàng những loạt mưa tên, như mây đổ những dòng nước cuồn cuộn lên sườn núi. Thế nhưng họ vẫn không sao ngăn nổi chàng—chàng rực cháy như mặt trời giữa trưa, tung hoành không bị kìm hãm giữa vòng chiến trận.

Word by Word

• yodhāḥ: warriors
• yodhāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: yodha
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• tvadīyāḥ: your
• tvadīyāḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvadīya
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• śara-varṣaiḥ: with showers of arrows
• śara-varṣaiḥ: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara-varṣa
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• avarṣan: they rained down
• avarṣan: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛṣ
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Plural

• meghāḥ: clouds
• meghāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: megha
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• yathā: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā

• bhūdharam: a mountain
• bhūdharam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūdhara
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ambu-vegaiḥ: with the force/streams of water
• ambu-vegaiḥ: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambu-vega
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• tathā: so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā

• api: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api

• tam: him
• tam: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• dhārayitum: to hold back/sustain
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ
• Form: Infinitive

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• śekuḥ: they were able
• śekuḥ: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak
• Form: Perfect, 3, Plural

• madhyaṃdine: at midday
• madhyaṃdine: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyaṃdina
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• sūryam: the sun
• sūryam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• iva: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva

• ātapantam: scorching/shining hot
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by tvadīyāḥ)
• Sātyaki (contextual referent of taṃ)
• Kaurava warriors (tvadīyāḥ yodhāḥ)
• arrows (śara)
• clouds (meghāḥ)
• mountain (bhūdhara)
• sun (sūrya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness under overwhelming opposition: sheer quantity of force (arrow-showers) does not guarantee moral or strategic success when confronted by a resolute, capable warrior. It also reflects the epic’s emphasis on kṣatriya-dharma—courage and endurance amid danger—expressed through vivid natural similes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava fighters unleash intense volleys of arrows at a single advancing hero (contextually Sātyaki), likened to clouds pouring torrents on a mountain; despite this, they cannot restrain him, for he presses on like the blazing midday sun.