Shloka 3
Adhyāya 16: Saṃśaptaka-vrata and the Diversion of Arjuna (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६)
तस्य दीप्ता महाबाणा विनिश्चेरु: सहसत्रश: । भानोरिव महाराज धर्मकाले मरीचय:,महाराज! जैसे ग्रीष्म-ऋतुमें सूर्यससे निकलकर सहस्रों किरणें सब ओर फैलती हैं, उसी प्रकार वृषसेनके धनुषसे सहस्रों तेजस्वी महाबाण निकलने लगे
tasya dīptā mahābāṇā viniśceruḥ sahasraśaḥ | bhānor iva mahārāja dharmakāle marīcayaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: From his bow, blazing great arrows streamed forth by the thousand. O great king, as the sun’s rays at the appointed hour spread out in countless beams, so did those shafts flare and fan out in every direction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial action within the idea of an appointed time (kāla) tied to dharma: when the destined moment arrives, power manifests irresistibly, and deeds carry ethical weight and consequences.
Sañjaya describes a warrior releasing a torrent of radiant arrows from his bow, comparing their spreading brilliance to the sun’s rays fanning out in the proper season/time.