Shloka 29
Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation
प्रकाशं चक्कुराकाशमुद्यतानि भुजोत्तमै: । नक्षत्रविमलाभानि शस्त्राणि भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ! उत्तम भुजाओंद्वारा ऊपर उठाये हुए नक्षत्रोंके समान निर्मल एवं चमकीले अस्त्र आकाशमें प्रकाश फैला रहे थे
prakāśaṃ cakkur ākāśam udyatāni bhujottamaiḥ | nakṣatravimalābhāni śastrāṇi bharatarṣabha ||
Wahai yang termulia di antara Bharata, senjata-senjata yang terangkat oleh lengan para kesatria unggul—bening dan berkilau laksana bintang—memancarkan cahaya ke seantero langit.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grandeur and allure of martial power while implicitly reminding the listener that such brilliance accompanies destructive action. It frames warfare as a domain of kṣatriya duty, where splendour and skill do not erase the ethical weight of violence and its outcomes.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield moment when warriors lift their weapons high. The arms gleam in the light, appearing as pure and star-like, and their radiance seems to spread through the sky—an intensification of the impending clash.