Shloka 54
मसारगल्वर्कसुवर्णरूपै- वैज्रप्रवालस्फटिकैश्व मुख्य: । चित्रे रथे पाण्डुसुतो बभासे नक्षत्रचित्रे वियतीव चन्द्र:,जैसे नक्षत्रोंद्वारा चितकबरे प्रतीत होनेवाले आकाशमें चन्द्रमा सुशोभित होते हैं, उसी प्रकार इन्द्रनील, पद्मराग, सुवर्ण, वज्रमणि, मूँगे तथा स्फटिक आदि प्रधान-प्रधान मणिरत्नोंसे विभूषित विचित्र रथमें बैठे हुए पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुन शोभा पा रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca |
masāragalvarkasuvarṇarūpaiḥ vaijrapravālasphaṭikaiś ca mukhyaiḥ |
citre rathe pāṇḍusuto babhāse nakṣatracitre viyatīva candraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Seated in that splendid, variegated chariot adorned with foremost gems—masāra, galva, arka, gold-hued ornaments, diamond, coral, and crystal—Pāṇḍu’s son Arjuna shone forth like the moon in a sky patterned with stars.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a cosmic simile—Arjuna like the moon among stars—to suggest that righteous courage and clarity can stand out amid the chaos of war. It frames martial readiness not as mere violence but as a dignified, dharma-aligned resolve in a moment of grave duty.
Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes Arjuna seated in a richly ornamented chariot studded with prominent gems. Arjuna’s brilliance is compared to the moon shining in a star-filled sky, emphasizing his prominence among the warriors.