Shloka 22
Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)
तमदृश्यं शरै: शूरौ माययान्तर्हितं तदा
tam adṛśyaṃ śaraiḥ śūrau māyayāntarhitaṃ tadā
அப்போது மாயையின் வல்லமையால் அந்த இரு வீரரும் கண்களுக்கு எட்டாதவர்களாயினர்; அம்புகள் பாய்ந்தபோதும் அவர்கள் பார்வையிலிருந்து மறைந்தனர்.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.