Shloka 10
उताहो भा: स्विदर्कस्य ज्वलनस्य शिखा त्वियम् । श्रीह्ीी: कीर्तिर्धति: पुष्टि: सिद्धिश्नन्द्रमस: प्रभा,“अहो! यह सूर्यकी प्रभा है या अग्निदेवकी शिखा अथवा श्री, ही, कीर्ति, धृति, पुष्टि, सिद्धि या चन्द्रमाकी प्रभा है?”
utāho bhāḥ svid arkasyāgnēḥ śikhā tv iyam | śrīr hrīḥ kīrtir dhṛtiḥ puṣṭiḥ siddhiś candramasaḥ prabhā ||
Vyāsa said: “Is this perhaps the radiance of the Sun, or the flame-crest of Fire? Or is it Śrī (auspicious fortune), Hrī (modest restraint), Kīrti (renown), Dhṛti (steadfastness), Puṣṭi (nourishing prosperity), Siddhi (attainment), or the moon’s gentle light?”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links outward brilliance with inner excellence: the most compelling “light” is not merely physical (sun, fire, moon) but also ethical and auspicious qualities—fortune, modesty, renown, steadfastness, nourishment, and accomplishment—implying that true greatness in a dharmic frame is recognized through virtue as much as through power.
Vyāsa, speaking in a tone of astonishment, describes an extraordinary radiance or presence on the battlefield context of Droṇa Parva. He searches for an adequate comparison—cosmic lights and personified virtues—indicating that what is being seen appears superhuman and morally charged, not merely a physical phenomenon.