Shloka 18
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
चन्द्राग्न्यनिलसूर्याणां कान्तिदीप्तिबलद्युती:
candrāgnyanilasūryāṇāṃ kāntidīptibaladyutīḥ
Sañjaya said: “(He possessed) the radiance, blazing brilliance, strength, and splendor of the moon, fire, wind, and the sun.” In the war narrative, this line heightens the ethical tension by portraying a warrior’s awe-inspiring power as something drawn from cosmic forces—suggesting that such might, though magnificent, must still be measured against dharma in its use on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that extraordinary martial power can resemble elemental, cosmic forces; ethically, such power is not self-justifying and must be governed by dharma, since brilliance and strength become destructive when unrestrained.
Sañjaya is describing a warrior’s formidable presence by comparing his qualities—radiance, blazing brilliance, strength, and splendor—to those of the moon, fire, wind, and the sun, intensifying the sense of awe and danger on the battlefield.