Shloka 20

अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust

Devanagari script

चित्रोपचित्रश्षित्राक्ष क्षारुचित्र: शरासन:

Transliteration

citropacitraḥ śitrākṣa kṣārucitraḥ śarāsanaḥ

Translation

قال سانجيا: «كان متزيّناً بزينةٍ متنوّعةٍ بهيّة؛ وكانت عيناه لافتتين؛ وكان قوسه—وهو سلاح حربه—عجيباً مميّزاً بالغ الثراء.» وفي الإطار الأخلاقي للملحمة يبرز هذا البيت كيف تُرى البراعة القتالية والبريق الظاهر وتُروى، حتى فيما تمضي كلفة الحرب الأخلاقية الأعمق في الانكشاف.

Word by Word

चित्रोपचित्रःvariegated and adorned (with variegation)

चित्राक्षःhaving wondrous/variegated eyes

क्षारुचित्रःbright/variegated like alkali/whitish (i.e., pale-variegated)

शरासनःbow (lit. arrow-seat)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

bow (śarāsana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war narratives often foreground visible signs of power—ornamentation, striking appearance, and weaponry—reminding readers that external splendor can accompany, and sometimes mask, the grave ethical stakes of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a warrior’s appearance and equipment on the battlefield, emphasizing his distinctive eyes and the notable, decorated bow he bears.