Shloka 15
Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas
Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode
तौ रथौ सूर्यसंकाशौ योत्स्यमानौ महाबलौ | शारदाविव जीमूतौ व्यरोचेतां व्यवस्थितौ
tau rathau sūryasaṅkāśau yotsyamānau mahābalau | śāradāv iva jīmūtau vyarocetāṃ vyavasthitau ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Ang dalawang karwahe, maningning na parang araw at sinasakyan ng mga mandirigmang may dakilang lakas, ay tumindig na handang maglaban. Nang pumuwesto sila para sa digmaan, ang dalawang bayani’y nagningning na parang kambal na ulap sa taglagas—marangal at punô ng bigat ng nalalapit na sagupaan—hudyat ng mabigat na pag-usad ng digmaang sinusubok ng dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the solemn grandeur of warriors standing ready for battle: outward splendor and power do not remove the ethical weight of conflict. The imagery suggests contained force—like autumn clouds—implying that war, even when conducted with valor, carries a charged moral atmosphere where dharma will be tested.
Two mighty chariot-warriors take their positions, prepared to fight. The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) describes their brilliance and readiness through a vivid comparison: they look like two autumn clouds, impressive and ominously full, as the battle is about to begin.