Shloka 69
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
पुमानाधिरयथे: स्थातुं कश्चित् प्रमुखतो $हति । अपि स्यान्मेदिनी हीना सोमसूर्यप्रभांशुभि:
pumān ādhiratheḥ sthātuṁ kaścit pramukhato 'rhati | api syān medinī hīnā somasūryaprabhāṁśubhiḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Siapakah antara manusia yang mampu berdiri berhadapan muka menentang putera Adhiratha (Karna)? Sesungguhnya, bumi ini seakan-akan akan kehilangan sinar gemilang Bulan dan Matahari, andai pahlawan sedemikian tidak mempunyai lawan yang setara.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the extraordinary stature of a warrior: true martial excellence demands a worthy counterpart. It also reflects the epic’s kṣatriya ethic—valor is measured not merely by victory, but by the capacity to meet formidable opposition directly.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating the events of the Karṇa Parva, offers a hyperbolic encomium of Karna’s might, implying that scarcely anyone can confront him head-on; the comparison to the Moon and Sun’s rays heightens the sense of cosmic-scale brilliance and dread surrounding his presence in battle.