Shloka 38
द्रोणनिन्दाश्रवणं तथा सात्यकि–पार्षतविवादः
Hearing the reproach of Droṇa and the Sātyaki–Pārṣata dispute
तुरड्रममुखैर्युक्ते पिशाचै्घोरदर्शनि:,उसके उस रथमें घोड़ोंक समान मुखवाले भयंकर पिशाच जुते हुए थे। उसपर लाल रंगकी आर्द्र पताका फहरा रही थी। उस रथको लाल रंगके फूलोंकी मालासे सजाया गया था। वह भयंकर रथ काले लोहेका बना था और उसके ऊपर रीछकी खाल मढ़ी हुई थी
turaṅgamamukhair yukte piśācaiḥ ghoradarśanaiḥ | tasya rathasya hayasama-mukhavanto bhayaṅkarāḥ piśācā yuktā āsan | tasmin rakte ārdre dhvajapatāke phalantyau | sa ratho raktapuṣpamālābhiḥ alaṅkṛtaḥ | sa ghorarathaḥ kṛṣṇāyasamayaḥ, upari ṛkṣacarmapariveṣṭitaś ca āsīt ||
Sanjaya said: That chariot was yoked with frightful piśācas whose faces resembled horses. Upon it a damp, crimson banner streamed, and the car was adorned with garlands of red flowers. The dreadful chariot itself was fashioned of dark iron, and over it was spread a bearskin—an ominous display meant to terrify and proclaim ruthless intent amid the chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war often weaponizes terror and inauspicious symbolism—ghoulish beings, blood-red emblems, and harsh materials—to intimidate opponents. It implicitly contrasts such fear-driven display with dharmic restraint, reminding readers that outward power can be morally hollow.
Sanjaya gives a vivid description of a terrifying chariot: it is yoked with horse-faced piśācas, bears a moist crimson banner, is decorated with red garlands, made of dark iron, and covered with a bearskin—an ominous warlike spectacle.