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

三阇耶说道：陛下的勇士以箭雨倾泻于他，犹如云霭将奔涌的水流倾注在山岳之上。然而他们仍不能遏止他——他如正午烈日般炽燃，在战阵拥挤之中纵横无碍。

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.