Shloka 44
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
सर्व झणझणी भूतमासीत् तालवनेष्विव । तीव्र वेगसे धूलकी वर्षा होने लगी। कुछ भी सूझ नहीं पड़ता था। सहसा वायुके वेगसे ध्वज हिलने लगे। पताकासहित वे ध्वज सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी जान पड़ते थे। उन्हें सोनेके हार और सुन्दर वस्त्रोंसे सजाया गया था। उनमें छोटी-छोटी घंटियोंके साथ झालरें बँधी थीं
sarva-jhaṇjhaṇī-bhūtam āsīt tāla-vaneṣv iva | tīvra-vegena dhūlī-varṣā babhūva; na kiñcid dṛśyate sma | sahasā vāyu-vegena dhvajāś calitum ārabdhāḥ | patākā-sahitās te dhvajāḥ sūrya-sama-tejasaḥ pratibhānti sma | suvarṇa-hāraiḥ sundara-vastraiś ca alaṅkṛtāḥ | teṣu kṣudra-ghaṇṭikābhiḥ saha jhālarā baddhāḥ, yāsāṃ madhura-śabdāḥ sarvato vyāptāḥ | evaṃ teṣāṃ mahā-dhvajānāṃ śabdena tāla-vana-vad raṇa-bhūmau sarvato jhaṇ-jhaṇā-śabdo babhūva || evaṃ te puruṣa-vyāghrāḥ pāṇḍavā yuddha-nandinaḥ tava putrasya vāhinīm abhimukhaṃ vyūhaṃ kṛtvā tiṣṭhanti sma, asmākaṃ yodhānāṃ rudhira-majjāṃś ca śoṣayanta iva | gadā-dhāriṇaṃ bhīmasenaṃ purataḥ dṛṣṭvā asmākaṃ sarvā senā bhaya-bhītā babhūva ||
Sañjaya said: “All around there arose a clattering, as though in a grove of palmyra trees. A storm of dust, driven with fierce speed, began to fall, so that nothing could be clearly seen. Suddenly, under the force of the wind, the standards started to sway. With their pennons, those banners shone like the sun—adorned with golden garlands and fine cloth. Fringes were fastened to them along with small bells, and their sweet sounds spread in every direction. Thus, by the sound of those great standards, the battlefield rang everywhere with a jingling din, like a palmyra forest in the wind. “In this manner the Pāṇḍavas—lion-like men who delight in battle—stood facing your son’s host, drawn up in formation, as though they would dry up the blood and marrow of our warriors. Seeing Bhīmasena, bearing his mace, stationed in the front, our entire army became seized with fear.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how external signs—noise, dust, and the splendor of banners—intensify the inner states of warriors. It underscores a moral-psychological truth often seen in the Mahābhārata: courage and fear spread through perception and leadership; the presence of a formidable champion (Bhīma) can shake an army’s resolve even before combat begins.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield just as the Pāṇḍavas stand arrayed against Duryodhana’s forces. A fierce wind raises a blinding dust-storm; banners with pennons, fringes, and bells sway and ring loudly, making the field resound. The Pāṇḍavas hold their formation, and the Kaurava army becomes fearful on seeing Bhīma at the front with his mace.