Shloka 5
भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen
नभश्च्युतमिवादित्यं पतितं धरणीतले । शतक्रतुमिवाचिन्त्यं पुरा वृत्रेण निर्जितम्,वे आकाशसे च्युत होकर पृथ्वीपर पड़े हुए सूर्यके समान तथा पूर्वकालमें वृत्रासुरसे पराजित हुए अचिन्त्य देवराज इन्द्रके सदृश प्रतीत होते थे
nabhaś cyutam ivādityaṃ patitaṃ dharaṇītale | śatakratum ivācintyaṃ purā vṛtreṇa nirjitam ||
Sañjaya said: He appeared like the sun fallen from the sky onto the earth, and like the inconceivable lord of the gods, Indra of a hundred sacrifices, once overcome in ancient times by Vṛtra—an image of mighty power brought low, shocking the moral sense as greatness is humbled amid the ruin of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical and emotional gravity of war: when a great warrior is brought down, it feels like a cosmic disorder—comparable to the sun falling or Indra being humbled. It highlights impermanence of power and the tragic cost that adharma-driven conflict can impose even upon the eminent.
Sañjaya describes a prominent figure lying fallen on the battlefield, using two grand comparisons: the sun fallen to earth and Indra once defeated by Vṛtra. The intent is to convey the stunned awe and sorrow at the sight of a mighty one struck down.