Shloka 15
अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः
Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire
तापनीया सुरुचिरा ध्वजयष्टिरनुत्तमा । तस्यां तु वानरो दिव्य: सिंहशार्दूलकेतन:,उस रथका ध्वजदण्ड बड़ा सुन्दर और सुवर्णमय था। उसके ऊपर सिंह और व्याप्रके समान भयंकर आकृतिवाला दिव्य वानर बैठा था
tāpanīyā surucirā dhvajayaṣṭir anuttamā | tasyāṃ tu vānaro divyaḥ siṃhaśārdūlaketanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The chariot’s flagstaff was exquisitely beautiful, fashioned of refined gold and unsurpassed in splendor. Upon it sat a divine monkey, bearing an emblem of lion-and-tiger-like ferocity.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Epic imagery uses royal emblems to express inner qualities: refined gold suggests nobility and excellence, while the fierce lion-tiger symbolism projects courage and deterrence—ethical strength in protecting one’s side and upholding kṣatriya duty.
The narrator describes a chariot’s banner: an exceptionally beautiful golden flagstaff, on which a divine monkey emblem is set, characterized as terrifying like a lion and tiger—signaling power and martial prestige.