Shloka 673
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ह्ृता: सर्वा: शरौघैस्तै: कर्णपाण्डवयोस्तदा । नरेश्वरर कर्ण और भीमसेनके बाणसमूहोंसे मध्याह्नकालमें तपते हुए सूर्यकी सारी प्रचण्ड किरणें भी फीकी पड़ गयी थीं
hṛtāḥ sarvāḥ śaraughais taiḥ karṇa-pāṇḍavayos tadā | nareśvara karṇa aura bhīmasenake bāṇa-samūhoṃse madhyāhna-kālameṃ tapate hue sūryakī sārī pracaṇḍa kiraṇeṃ bhī phīkī paṛa gayī thīṃ |
Sañjaya dijo: En aquel momento, en el feroz intercambio de lluvias de flechas entre Karṇa y el Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena), hasta los ardientes rayos del sol del mediodía parecieron perder su brillo, vencidos por la tormenta de proyectiles. La narración subraya que la voluntad y la destreza marcial humanas, cuando son impulsadas por la ira y la rivalidad, pueden hacer que el mundo mismo se oscurezca, como si la naturaleza retrocediera ante la violencia de la guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses cosmic hyperbole—arrows outshining the midday sun—to highlight the terrifying magnitude of war. Ethically, it suggests that when rivalry and wrath dominate, even the natural order seems eclipsed; martial excellence without restraint can darken the world rather than uphold dharma.
Sañjaya describes an intense phase of combat in the Karṇa Parva: Karṇa and the Pāṇḍava champion Bhīmasena unleash such dense volleys of arrows that the sun’s fierce midday rays appear to fade, as if overwhelmed by the missile-storm.