Shloka 29
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
त्वदीयानां परेषां च रथेषु विपुलान् ध्वजान् । अभिभूयार्जुनस्यैको रथे तस्थौ महाकपि:
tvadīyānāṁ pareṣāṁ ca ratheṣu vipulān dhvajān | abhibhūyārjunasyaiko rathe tasthau mahākapiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, though many great banners flew upon the chariots of your warriors and of the enemy, surpassing them all, a single banner—marked by the mighty monkey—stood aloft on Arjuna’s chariot, as if proclaiming the higher cause and the destined triumph of righteousness.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Outer power and numbers are not decisive; a righteous cause supported by divine strength is portrayed as surpassing mere display. The single banner with the great monkey symbolizes moral and spiritual superiority amid the spectacle of war.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra: many chariots on both sides bear large standards, yet Arjuna’s chariot is distinguished by one extraordinary banner marked by the mighty monkey (Hanumān), which eclipses the rest.