Shloka 396
अशोभन्त यथा मेघा: शारदाश्चलविद्युत: । सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी रथोंपर बैठे हुए वे पुरुषप्रवर योद्धा चंचल चपलाओंकी चमकसे युक्त शरत्कालके मेघोंकी भाँति शोभा पा रहे थे
aśobhanta yathā meghāḥ śāradāś calavidyutaḥ | sūryake samāna tejasvī rathopari baiṭhe hue te puruṣapravara yoddhā cañcala-capālānāṃ camakase yukta śaratkālake meghānāṃ bhānti śobhā pā rahe the |
Sañjaya said: Those foremost warriors, seated upon their chariots and radiant like the sun, appeared splendid—like autumn clouds streaked with flickering lightning—shining with restless, flashing brilliance amid the tumult of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dazzling, almost deceptive splendor of martial power: like lightning in autumn clouds, brilliance is vivid yet unstable, reminding the listener that war-glory is transient and bound to change.
Sañjaya describes the appearance of the foremost fighters on their chariots. Their radiance and movement on the battlefield are compared to autumn clouds lit by flickering lightning, emphasizing the spectacle and intensity of the combat scene.