Shloka 253
भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः
Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading
ग्रस्यमानं सात्यकिना खे सोममिव राहुणा । जैसे आकाशमें राहु चन्द्रमापर ग्रहण लगाता है, उसी प्रकार सात्यकिद्वारा राजा दुर्योधनको ग्रस्त होते देख वहाँ सब लोगोंमें हाहाकार मच गया
grasyamānaṃ sātyakinā khe somam iva rāhuṇā |
Sañjaya said: As the Moon in the sky is seized by Rāhu during an eclipse, so did Duryodhana appear to be overwhelmed by Sātyaki. Seeing the king thus being engulfed, a cry of alarm and lamentation rose among all those present—an image that underscores how swiftly fortune turns in war and how fear spreads when a leader is threatened.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the eclipse image to highlight the fragility of power in battle: when a leader is suddenly threatened, collective morale collapses. Ethically, it points to the consequences of adharma-driven ambition—security based on force can be eclipsed in an instant.
Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki is pressing Duryodhana so hard that it looks like Duryodhana is being ‘swallowed’—like the Moon during an eclipse by Rāhu. Witnessing this, the surrounding warriors and onlookers erupt in a general outcry.