Shloka 3
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
संजय उवाच गतपूर्वाह्नभूयिष्ठे तस्मिन्नहनि भारत । पश्चिमां दिशमास्थाय स्थिते चापि दिवाकरे,संजयने कहा--भारत! उस दिन जब पूर्वह्नकालका अधिक भाग व्यतीत हो गया, सूर्यदेव पश्चिम दिशामें जाकर स्थित हुए और विजयको प्राप्त हुए महामना पाण्डव खुशी मनाने लगे, उस समय सब धर्मोके विशेषज्ञ आपके ताऊ भीष्मजीने वेगशाली अअश्रोंद्वारा पाण्डवोंकी सेनापर आक्रमण किया। उनके साथ विशाल सेना चली और आपके पुत्र सब ओरसे उनकी रक्षा करने लगे
sañjaya uvāca gatapūrvāhnabhūyiṣṭhe tasminn ahani bhārata | paścimāṃ diśam āsthāya sthite cāpi divākare ||
Sañjaya said: O Bhārata, when on that day the greater part of the forenoon had passed, and the sun too had moved toward the western quarter and stood there, the battle’s momentum shifted into its later phase. In that time—when success and elation could arise in the Pāṇḍava host—Bhīṣma, your grandsire, the knower of dharma, pressed the attack with swift missiles, while your sons rallied on every side to protect him. The scene underscores how, in war, confidence and despair turn with time, yet duty-bound leaders continue their appointed roles regardless of changing fortune.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral steadiness expected of warriors and leaders: as time advances and fortunes fluctuate, one must continue to act according to one’s assigned duty (svadharma) rather than be ruled by momentary elation or fear.
Sañjaya marks the time of day—most of the forenoon has passed and the sun is in the west—signaling a late-stage turn in the day’s fighting. This temporal cue frames the intensification of combat and the shifting morale of the armies.