Brahmacarya-Upāya: Jñāna, Śauca, and the Mind’s Role in Desire (शान्ति पर्व, अध्याय २०७)
ततस्तस्मिन् महाघोरे संध्याकाल उपस्थिते । राजान: समसज्जन्त समासाद्येतरेतरम्,भरतश्रेष्ठ! त्रेतासे वे लोग बढ़ने लगे थे। तदनन्तर त्रेता और द्वापरका महाघोर संध्याकाल उपस्थित होनेपर राजालोग एक दूसरेसे टक्कर लेकर युद्धमें आसक्त हुए
tatas tasmin mahāghore sandhyākāla upasthite | rājānaḥ samasajjanta samāsādya itaretaram, bharataśreṣṭha |
Kemudian, wahai yang terbaik di antara Bharata, ketika senja yang mengerikan itu tiba, para raja saling mendekat, berhadapan satu sama lain, dan sepenuhnya terjun ke dalam pertempuran.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights how, at a liminal and ominous time (sandhyā), rulers can become mutually inflamed and rush into violence. It implicitly warns that unchecked rivalry and passion can override restraint and dharma, especially in moments symbolically associated with transition and vulnerability.
As a dreadful twilight sets in, the kings draw near to one another and become absorbed in combat—meeting head-on and committing themselves to battle.