Shloka 34
भीष्मसेनासंनिवेशः — Bhīṣma’s Mobilization, Omens, and the Kaurava Array
शुशुभे केतुमुख्येन पावकेन कलिज्भकः । श्वैतच्छत्रेण निष्केण चामरव्यजनेन च
śuśubhe ketumukhyena pāvakena kalijbhakaḥ | śvaitacchatreṇa niṣkeṇa cāmaravyajanena ca ||
Sañjaya said: Kalijbhaka shone splendidly, marked by a foremost banner bearing the sign of fire. Adorned with a white parasol, a neck-ornament (medallion), and a yak-tail fan, he appeared in full royal brilliance—an image of martial pageantry that heightens the solemn gravity of the coming battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how outward royal emblems—banner, parasol, ornaments, and fan—project authority and readiness for war, reminding the listener that the battlefield is not only a clash of arms but also a stage where status, duty, and the weight of impending consequences are displayed.
Sañjaya is describing a warrior named Kalijbhaka, highlighting the distinctive fire-emblem on his banner and his royal adornments (white parasol, neck-ornament, and chamara-fan), as part of the broader catalogue of combatants and their chariots before or during the great battle.