Shloka 19
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
त॑ देवराजप्रतिमं सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम् । युगपद् दिक्षु सर्वासु रथस्थं पुरुषर्षभम्,प्रलीनमीनमकरं सागराम्भ इवाभवत् | संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! उस समय अर्जुनके द्वारा खींचे जानेवाले गाण्डीव धनुषकी अत्यन्त भयंकर टंकार यमराजकी सुस्पष्ट गर्जना तथा इन्द्रके वज्रकी गड़गड़ाहटके समान जान पड़ती थी। उसे सुनकर आपकी सेना भयसे उद्विग्न हो बड़ी घबराहटमें पड़ गयी। उस समय उसकी दशा प्रलयकालकी आँधीसे क्षोभको प्राप्त एवं उत्ताल तरंगोंसे परिपूर्ण हुए उस महासागरके जलकी-सी हो गयी, जिसमें मछली और मगर आदि जलजन्तु छिप जाते हैं
taṁ devarāja-pratimaṁ sarva-śastra-bhṛtāṁ varam | yugapad dikṣu sarvāsu ratha-sthaṁ puruṣa-ṛṣabham, pralīna-mīna-makaraṁ sāgarāmbha ivābhavat ||
Sañjaya said: O King, that bull among men—like the lord of the gods, the foremost of all weapon-bearers—standing upon his chariot and appearing at once in every direction, became like the ocean at the time of dissolution, whose waters churn in tempest and in which fish and crocodiles vanish from sight. The image conveys how Arjuna’s overwhelming martial presence and the terror it inspired caused the opposing host to lose composure, as creatures disappear into the depths when the sea is violently agitated.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming power and resolve on the battlefield can shatter an opponent’s steadiness; ethically, it underscores the kṣatriya context where martial excellence and psychological impact are integral to duty, while also warning how fear can cause collective collapse like creatures vanishing in a storm-tossed sea.
Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the terrifying, all-pervading presence of the chariot-warrior (contextually Arjuna), using a cosmic-ocean simile: as the sea in pralaya hides its creatures amid violent upheaval, so the opposing forces become disoriented and seek cover under the pressure of his assault.