Shloka 26
Śānti Parva, Adhyāya 52 — Bhīṣma’s Humility Before Kṛṣṇa and the Granting of Boons
ततो मुहूर्ताद् भगवान् सहसारांशुर्दिवाकर: । दहन् वनमिवैकान्ते प्रतीच्यां प्रत्यदृश्यत,इसी समय दो ही घड़ीमें भगवान् सहस्रकिरणमाली दिवाकर पश्चिम दिशाके एकान्त प्रदेशमें वहाँके वनप्रान्तको दग्ध करते हुए-से दिखायी दिये
tato muhūrtād bhagavān sahasrāṁśur divākaraḥ | dahan vanam ivaikānte pratīcyāṁ pratyadṛśyata ||
Then, after a short while, the blessed Sun—Divākara, the thousand-rayed one—came into view in the solitary western quarter, appearing as though he were scorching the forest there. The narration underscores the inexorable movement of time and the austere, heat-laden close of day, setting a grave atmosphere for the events being described.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the steady, impersonal force of time and cosmic order: the Sun’s westward appearance and scorching radiance evoke the inevitability of change and the sobering atmosphere that often frames ethical reflection in the Śānti Parva.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Sun becoming visible in the western quarter after a brief interval, seeming to burn the forest there—an evocative scene-setting detail that marks the passage of time and intensifies the mood of the surrounding narration.