Shloka 23
आवृण्वानं महाज्वालमर्चिर्भि: सर्वतो<5म्बरम् । दहन्तमिव तीक्ष्णांशुं चण्डवायुसमीरितम्,वह आग अपनी लपटोंसे वहाँके समस्त आकाशको आवृत किये हुए थी। उससे बड़ी ऊँची ज्वालाएँ उठ रही थीं। वह सूर्यमण्डलकी भाँति दाह उत्पन्न करती और प्रचण्ड वायुसे प्रेरित हो अधिकाधिक प्रज्वलित होती रहती थी
āvṛṇvānaṃ mahājvālam arcirbhis sarvato 'mbaraṃ | dahantam iva tīkṣṇāṃśuṃ caṇḍavāyu-samīritam ||
Śaunaka said: “That great fire, wreathed in vast flames, seemed to cover the entire sky on every side. Like the scorching orb of the sun it appeared to burn everything, and, driven by fierce winds, it kept flaring up ever more intensely.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses overwhelming natural imagery to convey how unchecked destructive forces—like fire intensified by violent winds—can rapidly expand beyond control, functioning as a warning-sign (nimitta) that calls for vigilance, restraint, and timely right action.
Śaunaka describes a terrifying blaze: flames rise high, the sky seems covered, and the fire burns like the sun, repeatedly intensified by strong winds—setting the scene with a sense of danger and portent.