Shloka 4
रथचिह्नवर्णनम् / Description of Chariot Standards and Allied Advances
जृम्भमाणमिव व्याप्र॑ प्रभिन्नमिव कुज्जरम् । त्यजन्तमाहवे प्राणान् संनद्ध॑ं चित्रयोधिनम्,जँभाई लेते हुए व्याप्र तथा मदकी धारा बहानेवाले गजराजकी भाँति पराक्रमी, युद्धमें प्राणोंका विसर्जन करनेके लिये उद्यत, कवच आदिसे सुसज्जित, विचित्र रीतिसे युद्ध करनेवाले, शत्रुओंका भय बढ़ानेवाले, कृतज्ञ, सत्यपरायण, दुर्योधनके हितैषी तथा शूरवीर, भरद्वाजनन्दन महाधनुर्धर पुरुषसिंह द्रोणाचार्यको युद्धमें डटा हुआ देख किन शूरवीरोंने लौटकर उनका सामना किया? संजय! यह वृत्तान्त मुझसे कहो
sañjaya uvāca | jṛmbhamāṇam iva vyāghraṁ prabhinnam iva kuñjaram | tyajantam āhave prāṇān sannaddhaṁ citrayodhinam ||
Sañjaya said: “He stood in battle like a yawning tiger, like an elephant in musth. Fully armoured and fighting with varied stratagems, he was ready to cast away his very life in the fray.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior-ethic of unwavering resolve: the combatant is portrayed as fully prepared, fearless, and willing to risk life itself. Ethically, it underscores the intensity of kṣatriya duty in war—steadfastness and readiness to face death—while also reminding the listener of war’s grave cost.
Sañjaya describes a formidable fighter on the battlefield through powerful similes (tiger and musth-elephant), emphasizing his armoured readiness and extraordinary style of fighting, setting the scene for the ensuing confrontation.