Shloka 86

Devanagari script

सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ यद्धत्‌ तद्धदर्जुनकेशवौ । प्रकाश्येनाभिविख्यातौ त्वं तु खद्योतवन्नूषु,जैसे सूर्य और चन्द्रमा हैं, वैसे श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन हैं। वे दोनों अपने तेजसे सर्वत्र विख्यात हैं; परंतु तुम तो मनुष्योंमें जुगनूके ही समान हो

Transliteration

sūryācandramasau yathā tathā taddharjunakeśavau | prakāśyenābhivikhyātau tvaṃ tu khadyotavannṛṣu ||

Translation

As the Sun and the Moon are, so are Arjuna and Keśava (Kṛṣṇa). Their radiance is renowned everywhere; but you, among men, are only like a firefly.

Word by Word

सूर्यthe sun

चन्द्रमसौthe moon (and the other; the pair: sun and moon)

यथाas, just as

तथाso, in the same way

अर्जुनकेशवौArjuna and Keshava (Krishna)

प्रकाश्येनby (their) radiance/illumination

अभिविख्यातौwell-renowned, widely famed

त्वम्you

तुbut, however

खद्योतवत्like a firefly

नृसुamong men

Speaker

काक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sūrya (Sun)

Candramas (Moon)

Arjuna

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Greatness grounded in dharma and divine alignment is naturally manifest and universally beneficial—like the Sun and Moon—whereas ego-based self-importance is small and fleeting, like a firefly’s glow when compared to true radiance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Karṇa Parva battle context, a speaker identified as “Kāka” delivers a taunting comparison: Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa are exalted as cosmic luminaries famed for their splendor, while the addressed person is belittled as insignificant among men.