Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 18
क्व ते तदमलं छत्र॑ व्यजनं क्व च पार्थिव । साच ते महती सेना क्व गता पार्थिवोत्तम,“नृपश्रेष्ठ॒ महाराज! कहाँ है आपका वह निर्मल छत्र, कहाँ है व्यजन और कहाँ गयी आपकी वह विशाल सेना?
kva te tad amalaṁ chatraṁ vyajanaṁ kva ca pārthiva | sā ca te mahatī senā kva gatā pārthivottama ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O König, wo ist dein makelloser Königsschirm, wo der Fächer, der dich einst bediente? Und wohin ist dein gewaltiges Heer entschwunden, o Bester der Herrscher?“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of royal power and external symbols of sovereignty. In the wake of war, even the ‘spotless’ emblems of kingship and the might of a great army vanish, prompting reflection on the cost of adharma and the fragility of worldly glory.
Sañjaya, narrating events to the king, asks pointed questions about the disappearance of the king’s royal insignia (parasol and fan) and the fate of his vast army. The questions function as a lament and a stark reminder of the devastation that has overtaken the royal house and its forces.
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