Shloka 50
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
त॑ ते ददृशुरीशानं तेजोराशिमुमापतिम् | अनन्यसदृशं लोके भगवन्तमकल्मषम्
taṁ te dadṛśur īśānaṁ tejorāśim umāpatim | ananyasadṛśaṁ loke bhagavantam akalmaṣam | tapa ugraṁ samāsthāya niyame parame sthitāḥ |
Lalu mereka memandang Īśāna—Mahādeva, Sang Penguasa Umā—sebagai timbunan cahaya yang tak terukur; Yang Terberkahi, tanpa noda, dan tiada banding di dunia. Dengan menempuh tapa yang keras dan teguh dalam disiplin pengekangan tertinggi, mereka mengarahkan diri hanya kepada-Nya.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates tapas (austere discipline) and niyama (restraint/observance) as means to approach the divine: true strength is linked to inner mastery and purity, and the incomparable Lord is portrayed as the ultimate refuge beyond worldly rivalry.
Duryodhana cites an older mythic episode: after the Daityas were defeated by the Devas, Tārakāsura’s three sons undertook intense austerities and strict observances, leading to a vision of Śiva (Īśāna, Umāpati), described as radiant, stainless, and unequaled.