Shloka 28
भीष्मस्य शरवर्षः — Bhīṣma’s Arrow-Storm and Kṛṣṇa’s Impulse to Intervene
ज्वलिताश्न महोल्का वै समाहत्य दिवाकरम् | निपेतु: सहसा भूमौ वेदयन्त्यो महद् भयम्,बड़ी-बड़ी प्रज्वलित उल्काएँ सूर्यदेवसे टकरा-कर महान् भयकी सूचना देती हुई सहसा पृथ्वीपर गिर रही थीं
jvalitāś ca maholkā vai samāhatya divākaram | nipetuḥ sahasā bhūmau vedayantyo mahad bhayam ||
Sañjaya disse: “Grandes meteoros em chamas chocaram-se contra o sol e, de súbito, caíram à terra, como se proclamassem um terror imenso.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses ominous celestial signs to underscore an ethical idea common in the Mahabharata: when society moves toward adharma and mass violence, the natural and cosmic order is perceived as disturbed, warning humans of the consequences of unrighteous conflict.
Sañjaya reports terrifying portents: huge flaming meteors appear to collide with the sun and then fall to the earth, functioning as forewarnings of the impending catastrophe of the Kurukṣetra war.