Shloka 41

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

शस्त्रैश्न विविधाकारै रथौचैश्व युधिष्ठिर । अभ्यवर्षन्त राजानं हिमवन्तमिवाम्बुदा:

Transliteration

śastraiś ca vividhākāraiḥ rathaughaiś ca yudhiṣṭhira | abhyavarṣanta rājānaṃ himavantam ivāmbudāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“噢，郁提施提罗啊！他们以种种兵器、以成群战车，向那位国王倾泻飞矢——正如雨云倾注于喜马梵（Himavān，喜马拉雅）一般。”

Word by Word

• शस्त्रैः: with weapons
• शस्त्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विविधाकारैः: of various forms
• विविधाकारैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविधाकार
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• रथौघैः: with masses of chariots
• रथौघैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथौघ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अभ्यवर्षन्: they rained down (upon)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हिमवन्तम्: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• हिमवन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अम्बुदाः: clouds
• अम्बुदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• the king (rājānam)
• Himavān (Himalaya)
• ambudāḥ (clouds)
• śastra (weapons)
• ratha (chariots)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how violence in war can become overwhelming like a force of nature; ethically, it frames the battlefield as a test of steadiness and righteous conduct amid chaos, a recurring concern in Bhīṣma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes attackers advancing with many chariots and showering the king with diverse weapons, comparing the barrage of missiles to rain-clouds pouring on the Himalaya.