Shloka 87
द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake
तैश्वेव सहित: क्षिप्रमस्तं गच्छति भास्करे
taiś caiva sahitaḥ kṣipram astaṃ gacchati bhāskare
Sañjaya said: And together with them, the Sun quickly goes down to the western horizon—marking the close of the day and signaling a decisive turn in the battle’s unfolding events.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inevitability of time’s movement: even amid intense human struggle, the day ends. This highlights impermanence and the way cosmic order (time, sunset) frames and limits human action, urging sobriety and ethical reflection in moments of conflict.
Sañjaya reports that the Sun is quickly setting, indicating the day’s close. In the battle narrative, sunset commonly functions as a turning point—signaling cessation or change in combat conditions and preparing the ground for the next phase of events.