Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)
तमदृश्यं शरै: शूरौ माययान्तर्हितं तदा
tam adṛśyaṃ śaraiḥ śūrau māyayāntarhitaṃ tadā
അപ്പോൾ മായാശക്തിയാൽ ആ രണ്ടു ശൂരവീരന്മാർ അദൃശ്യരായി; അമ്പുകൾ പായിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നിട്ടും അവർ കാഴ്ചയിൽ നിന്ന് മറഞ്ഞു.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
The verse highlights how external prowess in conflict can be undermined by māyā—deception or extraordinary power—urging discernment and ethical vigilance: not everything in struggle is decided by strength alone, and one must be wary of tactics that obscure truth and fair conduct.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a battle moment in which two heroic fighters are rendered unseen: amid the exchange of arrows, they are concealed by māyā, becoming invisible and thus altering the course and clarity of the encounter.