Shloka 133
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
चक्रुर्निशां संधिगतां समीक्ष्य विभावसोलेंहितरागयुक्ताम् । तदनन्तर शस्त्रोंके आघातसे अत्यन्त क्षत-विक्षत अंगोंवाले भीष्म
cakrur niśāṃ sandhigatāṃ samīkṣya vibhāvaso lehitarāga-yuktām | tadanantaraṃ śastrāṅke āghātataḥ atyanta-kṣata-vikṣata-aṅgāḥ bhīṣma-droṇa-duryodhana-bāhlika-tathā anye kaurava-yoddhāḥ sūryadevaṃ sva-kiraṇān sametantaṃ dṛṣṭvā, taṃ ca bhayaṅkaraṃ aindrāstraṃ pralayaṅkara-agni-sadṛśaṃ sarvatra vyāptaṃ asahyaṃ ca jñātvā, sūrya-lālī-yuktāṃ sandhyāṃ niśā-ārambha-kālaṃ ca avalokya senāṃ yuddha-bhūmeḥ pratyāhṛtya nivartayām āsuḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Voyant que la nuit était tombée, teintée de la lueur rougeâtre du soleil couchant, les champions des Kaurava—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Duryodhana, Bāhlika et d’autres—dont les corps étaient cruellement meurtris par les coups des armes, virent le dieu Soleil retirer ses rayons. Comprenant que la terrible arme d’Indra (Indrāstra) s’était répandue partout tel le feu de la dissolution cosmique et qu’elle était devenue insupportable, et constatant l’avènement du crépuscule et le commencement de la nuit, ils retirèrent l’armée du champ de bataille.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid total war, dharma imposes limits: when night falls and a devastating divine weapon makes combat indiscriminate and unbearable, the responsible course is to stop, withdraw, and prevent uncontrolled destruction.
As twilight turns to night and the Sun’s rays withdraw, the Kaurava leaders—badly wounded—recognize the terrifying, all-pervading Indra-weapon as intolerable and therefore pull their forces back from the battlefield.