Shloka 41
Chapter 26: Śoka-pratiṣedha, Hata-saṅkhyā, Gati-vibhāga, Pretakārya-ājñā
Restraint of Grief, Count of the Slain, Destinies, and Funerary Directives
ते विधूमा: प्रदीप्ताश्न दीप्यमानाश्व॒ पावका: । नभसीवान्वदृश्यन्त ग्रहास्तन्व भ्रसंवृता:,उस समय स्वल्प धूमयुक्त, प्रजजलित तथा जलायी जाती हुई चिताकी अग्नियाँ आकाश में सूक्ष्म बादलोंसे ढँके हुए ग्रहोंके समान दिखायी देती थीं
te vidhūmāḥ pradīptāś ca dīpyamānāś ca pāvakāḥ | nabhasīvānv adṛśyanta grahās tanv-abhrasaṃvṛtāḥ ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：那些火葬的柴堆之火烟尘甚少，却炽烈明亮；在天空中看去，宛如薄云遮掩的行星。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys the moral weight of war through a cosmic simile: innumerable funeral fires make the sky seem filled with veiled planets. It points to impermanence and the ethical cost of violence, reminding the listener that victory purchased by mass death brings pervasive sorrow rather than true gain.
In the aftermath of the great battle, many pyres are burning for the dead. Their bright flames, with only slight smoke, are compared to planets seen through thin clouds, emphasizing the scale of cremations and the atmosphere of mourning in the Strī-parvan.