Shloka 15
Śānti-parva Adhyāya 3: Karṇa’s training under Rāma Jāmadagnya and the Bhārgava restriction on the Brahmāstra
ततोअन्तरिक्षे ददृशे विश्वरूप: करालवान् | राक्षसो लोहितग्रीव: कृष्णाड़्रो मेघवाहन:,तदनन्तर आकाशमें सब तरहके रूप धारण करनेमें समर्थ एक विकराल राक्षस दिखायी दिया, उसकी ग्रीवा लाल थी और शरीरका रंग काला था। वह बादलोंपर आरुढ था
tato ’ntarikṣe dadṛśe viśvarūpaḥ karālavān | rākṣaso lohitagrīvaḥ kṛṣṇāṅgo meghavāhanaḥ ||
Then, in the mid-sky, there appeared a terrifying rākṣasa capable of assuming every kind of form. His neck was blood-red and his body dark; he was borne upon the clouds—an ominous apparition signaling danger and moral disorder in the unfolding account.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a rākṣasa’s terrifying, shape-shifting appearance as an ominous sign: when adharma rises, it manifests as fear, confusion, and threatening portents. Ethically, it prepares the listener to discern and resist forces that disrupt order and right conduct.
Nārada reports that a dreadful, many-formed rākṣasa appears in the sky, red-necked and dark-bodied, riding on clouds. The description functions as a dramatic turning point, introducing a menacing presence and heightening the sense of impending danger.