Shloka 263
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
मध्यंदिनगतोडर्चिष्मान् शरदीव दिवाकर: । तत्पश्चात् सूतपुत्र कुपित हो बाणोंकी वर्षा करता हुआ शरत्कालके दोपहरके तेजस्वी सूर्यकी भाँति शोभा पाने लगा
madhyaṃdinagato 'rciṣmān śaradīva divākaraḥ | tatpaścāt sūtaputraḥ kupito bāṇānāṃ varṣaṃ kurvan śaratkālasya madhyāhnasya tejasvī sūrya iva śobhāṃ lebhe |
Sañjaya said: Like the radiant sun at midday in the autumn season, the charioteer’s son (Karna) then—angered—began to pour down a rain of arrows, and in that fierce display of martial power he shone like the blazing autumn sun at noon. The image underscores how wrath in war can magnify destructive brilliance, turning prowess into a scorching force that tests restraint and righteousness.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger can intensify one’s power into a scorching, destructive brilliance—suggesting an ethical tension in war: valor and skill must be governed by restraint, or they become like the noon sun that burns as it shines.
Sañjaya describes Karṇa becoming enraged and unleashing a dense barrage of arrows. His appearance and force are compared to the radiant autumn sun at midday, emphasizing his overwhelming battlefield presence.