Shloka 303

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

प्राच्छादयन्महाराज दिश: सूर्यस्य च प्रभा: । महाराज! कर्णके धनुषसे छूटे हुए सुवर्णमय पंखवाले अत्यन्त तीखे बाणोंने सम्पूर्ण दिशाओं तथा सूर्यकी प्रभाको भी ढक दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | prācchādayan mahārāja diśaḥ sūryasya ca prabhāḥ |

Translation

Sanjaya said: O King, the arrows—exceedingly sharp and adorned with golden wings—released from Karna’s bow spread so densely that they seemed to veil all the directions and even the radiance of the sun. The scene underscores how, in the frenzy of war, human prowess can appear to eclipse the natural order itself, intensifying the moral weight of violence and the urgency of discerning dharma amid overwhelming force.

Word by Word

• प्राच्छादयन्: covering, veiling
• प्राच्छादयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छादय् (प्र + छाद्)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सूर्यस्य: of the sun
• सूर्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रभाः: rays, radiance
• प्रभाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'mahārāja')
• Karna (from contextual gloss)
• Sun (Sūrya)
• Directions (Diś)
• Bow (Dhanus, from contextual gloss)
• Arrows (Bāṇa, from contextual gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how martial power can become so overwhelming that it metaphorically eclipses even the sun—prompting reflection on the ethical burden of warfare and the need to seek dharma when force and fury dominate perception.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes Karna unleashing a dense volley of razor-sharp, golden-winged arrows that fill the sky, seeming to cover the directions and dim the sun’s light—an image of escalating intensity on the battlefield.