Shloka 64

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

चित्रायुधं चित्रमाल्यं चित्रवर्मायुधध्वजम्‌ । ऊहु: किंशुकपुष्पाणां समवर्णा हयोत्तमा:,जिनके माला, कवच, अस्त्र-शस्त्र और ध्वज सब कुछ विचित्र हैं, उन राजा चित्रायुधको- पलाशके फूलोंके समान लाल रंगवाले उत्तम घोड़े संग्राममें ले गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

citrāyudhaṃ citramālyaṃ citravarmāyudhadhvajam |

ūhuḥ kiṃśukapuṣpāṇāṃ samavarṇā hayottamāḥ ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: ساقوا إلى ساحة القتال الملك تشِتراآيودها—ذو الأكاليل العجيبة، والدروع الموشّاة بالألوان، والأسلحة والراية البارزة—على عربة تجرّها خيولٌ ممتازة بلونٍ واحد، حمراء كأزهار الكِمشوكا (بالاشا).

Word by Word

• चित्रायुधम्: Chitrayudha (the king named ‘Variegated-weapon’)
• चित्रायुधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रायुध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चित्रमाल्यम्: having a variegated garland
• चित्रमाल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रमाल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चित्रवर्म: variegated armor
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रवर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• आयुध: weapon
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ध्वजम्: banner/standard
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऊहुः: they carried/bore
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• किंशुकपुष्पाणाम्: of kiṃśuka (palāśa) flowers
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंशुकपुष्प
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• समवर्णाः: of the same color (as)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हयोत्तमाः: excellent horses
• हयोत्तमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Citrāyudha
• kiṃśuka (palāśa) blossoms
• horses
• garland (mālya)
• armor (varman)
• weapons (āyudha)
• banner/standard (dhvaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between outward martial splendor (ornate garlands, armor, weapons, banners) and the sobering reality of war: aesthetic grandeur accompanies actions that carry heavy moral and karmic weight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes King Citrāyudha being taken/led into the battlefield, mounted or conveyed with excellent horses uniformly red like palāśa blossoms, emphasizing his striking appearance as he enters the combat scene.