Shloka 20
प्रतापी सूतपुत्र कर्णने उस आग्नेयास्त्रको उद्दीप्त हुआ देखकर रणक्षेत्रमें उसकी शान्तिके लिये वारुणास्त्रका प्रयोग किया और उसके द्वारा उस आगको बुझा दिया ।। बलाहकौघश्न दिशस्तरस्वी चकार सर्वास्तिमिरेण संवृता: । ततो धरित्रीधरतुल्यरोधस: समनततो वै परिवार्य वारिणा,फिर तो बड़े वेगसे मेघोंकी घटा घिर आयी और उसने सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंको अन्धकारसे आच्छादित कर दिया। दिशाओंका अन्तिम भाग काले पर्वतके समान दिखायी देने लगा। मेघोंकी घटाओंने वहाँका सारा प्रदेश जलसे आप्लावित कर दिया था
sañjaya uvāca | pratāpī sūtaputraḥ karṇaḥ tam āgneyāstram uddīptaṁ dṛṣṭvā raṇakṣetre tasya śāntyai vāruṇāstram prayujya tenaiva tam agniṁ śamayāmāsa || balāhakaughaś ca diśas tarasvī cakāra sarvāḥ timireṇa saṁvṛtāḥ | tato dharitṛdharatulya-rodhasaḥ samantato vai parivārya vāriṇā ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing the blazing Agneya weapon on the battlefield, the valiant Karṇa, son of a charioteer, employed the Varuṇa weapon to pacify it and thereby quenched that fire. Then, with great force, masses of clouds gathered and covered all directions in darkness; the horizons looked like black mountains, and the region all around was flooded with torrents of water.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, power is to be met with proportionate restraint: destructive force should be neutralized with an appropriate countermeasure to prevent wider harm, reflecting disciplined kṣatriya conduct rather than uncontrolled devastation.
Karna sees a blazing fire-weapon (Agneyāstra) and counters it with the water-weapon (Vāruṇāstra), extinguishing the flames. The counteraction manifests as dense cloud-banks, darkness in all directions, and heavy rains flooding the area.