Shloka 26
Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa
Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं राज्ञा स पृष्टस्तु संजयो वाक्यमब्रवीत् | वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! राजा धृतराष्ट्रके इस प्रकार पूछनेपर संजयने कहना आरम्भ किया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | evaṃ rājñā sa pṛṣṭas tu saṃjayo vākyam abravīt | karṇikāramayīṃ mālāṃ bibhrat pādāvalambinīm | tribhir netraiḥ kṛtodyotas tribhiḥ sūrya ivoditaiḥ |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Setelah ditanya demikian oleh raja, Saṃjaya pun mula berbicara. Dia menggambarkan Tuhan Paśupati—dikelilingi makhluk-makhluk ilahi—memakai kalungan bunga karṇikāra yang bercahaya, menjuntai hingga ke kaki-Nya. Dengan tiga mata-Nya, Dia memancarkan sinar seolah-olah tiga matahari telah terbit.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds divine sovereignty and radiance—Śiva as Paśupati—implying that human conflict and moral responsibility unfold under a larger cosmic order. The ethical undertone is humility: kings and warriors act within limits set by dharma and the divine, not merely by personal power.
Vaiśampāyana reports that, after Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions him, Saṃjaya begins his account. The narration shifts into a vivid description of Paśupati (Śiva), adorned with a karṇikāra garland and blazing with the light of his three eyes, establishing an awe-filled, devotional atmosphere before continuing the war narrative.