Shloka 21
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
निरीक्षितुं न शेकुस्ते यत्नवन्तो$पि पार्थिवा: । मध्यंदिनगतं सूर्य प्रतपन््तमिवाम्बरे,प्रलीनमीनमकरं सागराम्भ इवाभवत् | संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! उस समय अर्जुनके द्वारा खींचे जानेवाले गाण्डीव धनुषकी अत्यन्त भयंकर टंकार यमराजकी सुस्पष्ट गर्जना तथा इन्द्रके वज्रकी गड़गड़ाहटके समान जान पड़ती थी। उसे सुनकर आपकी सेना भयसे उद्विग्न हो बड़ी घबराहटमें पड़ गयी। उस समय उसकी दशा प्रलयकालकी आँधीसे क्षोभको प्राप्त एवं उत्ताल तरंगोंसे परिपूर्ण हुए उस महासागरके जलकी-सी हो गयी, जिसमें मछली और मगर आदि जलजन्तु छिप जाते हैं
nirīkṣituṁ na śekuḥ te yatnavanto 'pi pārthivāḥ | madhyaṁdinagataṁ sūryaṁ pratapantam ivāmbare, pralīna-mīna-makaraṁ sāgarāmbha ivābhavat |
Sañjaya said: Even though they strove with all their might, those kings could not bear to look on. It was as if the sun, having reached midday, blazed in the sky; and the host became like the ocean’s waters, where fish and crocodiles vanish from sight—overwhelmed and driven to concealment by the scorching force before them. In this war-scene, the verse underscores how overpowering prowess can shatter morale: when fear takes hold, even the mighty lose steadiness and clarity of action.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic and psychological truth: when confronted with overwhelming force, courage and discernment can collapse into fear, causing even powerful leaders to falter. It implicitly values steadiness (dhairya) and clarity under pressure as essential to righteous action in crisis.
Sañjaya describes how the opposing kings, despite their efforts, cannot even look on—likened to staring at the blazing midday sun. Their condition is compared to ocean waters in which fish and makaras hide, conveying panic and withdrawal in the face of a terrifying display of martial power.