Shloka 64
योगमत्र विधास्यामि सूर्यस्यावरणं प्रति । अस्तंगत इति व्यक्त द्रक्ष्यत्येक: स सिन्धुराट्,“अतः मैं यहाँ सूर्यदेवको ढकनेके लिये कोई युक्ति करूँगा, जिससे अकेला सिंधुराज ही सूर्यको स्पष्टरूपसे अस्त हुआ देखेगा
yogam atra vidhāsyāmi sūryasyāvaraṇaṃ prati | astaṅgata iti vyaktaṃ drakṣyaty ekaḥ sa sindhurāṭ ||
Sañjaya said: “Here I shall devise a stratagem to veil the Sun, so that only the king of Sindhu will clearly perceive it as having set.” In the moral atmosphere of the war, this line signals a deliberate use of deception—an expedient tactic meant to manipulate an opponent’s perception and timing, raising the tension between righteous conduct and battlefield necessity.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in war: tactical deception can be employed to achieve a decisive aim, yet it simultaneously pressures the boundaries of dharma by manipulating perception rather than meeting the enemy in straightforward combat.
A plan is being announced to create the appearance that the Sun has set (by veiling it), so that Jayadratha—the king of Sindhu—alone will be made to believe the day has ended, affecting his decisions and the unfolding battle sequence.