Shloka 25
पश्य कर्ण महेष्वासं धनुष्पाणिमवस्थितम् । निशीथे दारुणे काले तपन्तमिव भास्करम्,'पार्थ! महाधनुर्धर कर्णको देखो; वह हाथमें धनुष लिये खड़ा है और इस भयंकर आधी रातके समय सूर्यके समान तप रहा है
paśya karṇa maheṣvāsaṃ dhanuṣpāṇim avasthitam | niśīthe dāruṇe kāle tapantam iva bhāskaram ||
Sañjaya said: “Behold Karṇa, that great archer, standing firm with bow in hand. In the dreadful hour of midnight he blazes forth, scorching like the sun.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ambivalence of power: extraordinary skill and courage can inspire reverence, yet in an unrighteous or tragic context they become terrifying—like a sun burning at midnight—signaling dharma under strain.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, urging attention to Karṇa: he is stationed with bow in hand at the grim hour of midnight, radiating fierce energy and readiness for combat, implicitly challenging Pārtha (Arjuna).