Shloka 31
कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः
Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory
अहो वीर्यस्य सारत्वमहो सौषछ्वमेतयो: । स्थितावेती हि समरे कालान्तकयमोपमौ
aho vīryasya sāratvam aho sauṣṭhavam etayoḥ | sthitāv etī hi samare kālāntaka-yamopamau ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Ah! Betapa luar biasanya inti pati keberanian mereka yang begitu padat, dan betapa menakjubkan keindahan serta keunggulan pertunjukan seni perang mereka. Berdiri berhadapan di medan laga, kedua-duanya tampak bagaikan Kālāntaka (Pengakhir Waktu) dan Yama (Dewa Maut) sendiri.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary martial prowess can evoke awe and even resemble cosmic forces of destruction; it implicitly reminds the listener that war magnifies human power into something death-like, underscoring the grave ethical weight of battle.
Sanjaya, narrating the Kurukṣetra war, marvels at two opposing warriors who stand poised in combat; their valor and the splendor of their fighting make them seem like embodiments of Time’s end and Death.