Shloka 29
अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च
Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents
ध्वजानां छिद्यमानानां कार्मुकाणां च मारिष | रथानां सपताकानां तूणीराणां युगैः सह
dhvajānāṃ chidyamānānāṃ kārmukāṇāṃ ca māriṣa | rathānāṃ sapatākānāṃ tūṇīrāṇāṃ yugaiḥ saha
Sañjaya sprach: „O Ehrwürdiger, Banner wurden zerschnitten, Bögen zerschmettert, und Streitwagen—noch mit ihren Standarten—zerbrochen; selbst Köcher und Joche samt Gespannen wurden vernichtet.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark impermanence of martial power and equipment: banners, bows, chariots, and even supporting gear are swiftly destroyed in war. It implicitly frames the battlefield as a realm where pride in external might collapses, reminding the listener that outcomes hinge on fate, skill, and the relentless nature of conflict rather than mere display.
Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the intensity of the fighting in the Karṇa Parva. He describes the battlefield scene where standards are severed, bows are broken, and chariots with their flags, quivers, and yokes are being smashed—conveying the scale and ferocity of the ongoing combat.