Shloka 51
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
भगदत्तस्ततस्तूर्ण विराट पृथिवीपतिम् । छादयामास समरे मेघ: सूर्यमिवोदितम्,तब जैसे बादल उगे हुए सूर्यको ढक लेता है, उसी प्रकार भगदत्तने समरभूमिमें बाणोंकी वर्षद्वारा पृथ्वीपति विराटको आच्छादित कर दिया
bhagadattas tatas tūrṇaṁ virāṭa pṛthivīpatim | chādayāmāsa samare meghaḥ sūryam ivoditam ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhagadatta swiftly covered King Virāṭa on the battlefield with a dense shower of arrows—just as a cloud veils the newly risen sun. Thus in war, even a renowned ruler may be momentarily eclipsed, as fortune and clarity can suddenly be obscured.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the volatility of war: even a powerful king can be suddenly overwhelmed. The simile of the cloud and rising sun suggests that glory and clarity can be temporarily obscured by force and circumstance, urging discernment about the fleeting nature of battlefield dominance.
Sañjaya describes Bhagadatta rapidly assailing King Virāṭa, enveloping him with a heavy barrage of arrows so that Virāṭa is effectively hidden from view—like the sun being covered by a cloud at sunrise.