Shloka 4

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ९६: सौभद्रस्य आक्रमणम्, अलम्बुसस्य प्रतिविधानम्

Abhimanyu’s assault; Alambusa’s counter-engagement

Devanagari script

अथैनं शरवर्षेण समन्तात्‌ पर्यवाकिरन्‌ । पर्वतं वारिधाराभि: शरदीव बलाहका:

Transliteration

athainaṁ śaravarṣeṇa samantāt paryavākiran | parvataṁ vāridhārābhiḥ śaradīva balāhakāḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：于是他们从四面八方倾下箭雨，将他团团遮蔽——恰如秋云以成片水幕浇灌群山。此偈凸显战争那种无情而压倒性的力量：在无休止的暴烈之中，技艺与意志都要经受考验。

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रत्ययान्त सर्वनाम)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• शरवर्षेण: with a shower of arrows
• शरवर्षेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात्

• पर्यवाकिरन्: they completely covered/surrounded (by scattering)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॄ (किरी/किर्) धातु; अव+आ+परि उपसर्गयुक्त
• Form: imperfect (लङ्), third, plural

• पर्वतम्: a mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• वारिधाराभिः: with streams of water
• वारिधाराभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारिधारा
• Form: feminine, instrumental, plural

• शरदि: in autumn
• शरदि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद्
• Form: feminine, locative, singular

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

• बलाहकाः: clouds
• बलाहकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाहक
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrows (śara)
• mountain (parvata)
• clouds (balāhaka)
• autumn season (śarad)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of war: an individual can be engulfed by collective aggression like a natural deluge. Ethically, it invites reflection on the dehumanizing momentum of conflict and the need for steadiness and discernment amid overwhelming pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior being attacked from all directions with a dense barrage of arrows, using the vivid comparison of rain clouds in autumn pouring water over a mountain.