Shloka 27
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
तेषामादित्यचन्द्राभा: कनकोत्तमभूषणा: । नानाचित्रधरा राजन् रथेष्वासन् महाध्वजा:,राजन! उनके रथोंपर भाँति-भाँतिके बेल-बूटोंसे विभूषित स्वर्णमण्डित विशाल ध्वज सूर्य और चन्द्रमाके समान प्रकाशित हो रहे थे
teṣām ādityacandrābhāḥ kanakottamabhūṣaṇāḥ | nānācitradharā rājan ratheṣv āsan mahādhvajāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, upon their chariots stood great standards—adorned with the finest gold and bearing many varied emblems—shining with the radiance of the sun and the moon. The verse heightens the moral tension of war by portraying outward splendor and power, even as the coming conflict will test the warriors’ adherence to duty and restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war is framed not only as violence but as a public display of royal power and prestige; the dazzling banners contrast with the ethical gravity of the impending battle, reminding readers that outward brilliance does not lessen the inner demand for dharma—discipline, duty, and restraint.
Sañjaya continues reporting to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra the appearance of the assembled forces: on the warriors’ chariots, tall standards richly decorated with gold and varied emblems gleam like the sun and moon, emphasizing the grandeur of the battlefield array.