Shloka 43
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
किड्किणीजालबद्धानां काज्चनस्रग्वराम्बरै: | महतां सपताकानामादित्यसमतेजसाम्
kiḍkiṇījālabaddhānāṁ kāñcanasragvarāmbaraiḥ | mahatāṁ sapatākānām ādityasamatejasām ||
Sañjaya said: “(The chariots) were fitted with networks of tinkling bells, adorned with golden garlands and splendid coverings. They were massive, bearing lofty banners, and blazing with a radiance equal to the sun.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse is primarily descriptive rather than didactic: it highlights the grandeur and intimidating splendor of the war apparatus, underscoring how worldly power and martial display can appear sun-bright and overwhelming—setting the ethical tension of war where external magnificence contrasts with the inner cost of violence.
Sañjaya continues narrating the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describing the imposing chariots (and by extension the assembled forces): decorated with bell-nets, golden garlands, fine drapery, tall banners, and shining with sun-like brilliance as the armies prepare for combat.