Shloka 20

अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust

Devanagari script

चित्रोपचित्रश्षित्राक्ष क्षारुचित्र: शरासन:

Transliteration

citropacitraḥ śitrākṣa kṣārucitraḥ śarāsanaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: “He was adorned in variegated and splendid fashion; his eyes were striking; and his bow—his very weapon of war—was itself remarkable and richly distinguished.” In the epic’s ethical frame, the verse shows how martial prowess and outward brilliance are still noticed and recounted, even as the war’s deeper moral cost continues to unfold.

Word by Word

• चित्रोपचित्रः: variegated and adorned (with variegation)
• चित्रोपचित्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रोपचित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चित्राक्षः: having wondrous/variegated eyes
• चित्राक्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्राक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षारुचित्रः: bright/variegated like alkali/whitish (i.e., pale-variegated)
• क्षारुचित्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षारुचित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरासनः: bow (lit. arrow-seat)
• शरासनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरासन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bow (śarāsana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war narratives often foreground visible signs of power—ornamentation, striking appearance, and weaponry—reminding readers that external splendor can accompany, and sometimes mask, the grave ethical stakes of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a warrior’s appearance and equipment on the battlefield, emphasizing his distinctive eyes and the notable, decorated bow he bears.