Shloka 453

Devanagari script

घोरे शरान्धकारे तु कण्णस्त्रि च विजृम्भिते । कर्णका अस्त्र जब वेगपूर्वक बढ़ने लगा तो वहाँ बाणोंसे घोर अन्धकार छा गया। उसमें अपने और शत्रुपक्षके योद्धा परस्पर पहचाने नहीं जाते थे

Transliteration

ghore śarāndhakāre tu karṇāstre ca vijṛmbhite |

Translation

Wika ni Sanjaya: Nang sumiklab nang buong bagsik ang sandatang astra ni Karna, isang kakila-kilabot na dilim na yari sa mga palaso ang lumaganap sa larangan. Sa nakabubulag na unos na iyon, hindi na malinaw na nakikilala ng mga mandirigma sa magkabilang panig ang sariling kakampi at ang kaaway.

Word by Word

• घोरे: in the terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शर-अन्धकारे: in the darkness of arrows
• शर-अन्धकारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर-अन्धकार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कर्ण-अस्त्रे: in/at Karna's weapon (missile)
• कर्ण-अस्त्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण-अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विजृम्भिते: expanded/spread forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√जृम्भ्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• astra (divine missile/weapon)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical warning: when warfare escalates through overwhelming force (especially astras), human judgment and discrimination collapse, increasing the risk of indiscriminate harm—an implicit critique of violence that exceeds moral and practical control.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa unleashing an astra so intensely that the battlefield becomes shrouded in an arrow-made darkness, preventing fighters from recognizing allies and enemies amid the chaos.