Shloka 45
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
दीप्यमानमपश्याम तेजसा वानरध्वजम् | सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी एवं यशस्वी अर्जुनके चिह्नस्वरूप वानरध्वजको हमने दूरसे ही देखा, जो अपने दिव्य तेजसे उद्धासित हो रहा था ।। ४४ ई ।। संशप्तकसमुद्रं तमुच्छोष्यास्त्रगभस्तिभि:
sañjaya uvāca | dīpyamānam apaśyāma tejasā vānaradhvajam | sūryake samāna tejasvī evaṃ yaśasvī arjunake cihnasvarūpa vānaradhvajaṃ vayam dūrata eva dadarśma, yaḥ svadivya-tejasā udbhāsitaḥ | saṃsaptaka-samudraṃ tam ucchoṣya astragabhastibhiḥ |
Sañjaya said: We saw from afar Arjuna’s banner, marked with the monkey-emblem, blazing with radiance—sunlike in splendor and renowned as his sign. It shone with a divine brilliance, as though ready to dry up the very “ocean” of the Saṁśaptakas with the rays of weapons—an omen of Arjuna’s unwavering resolve and the moral force of his cause amid the chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses Arjuna’s radiant monkey-banner as a moral and psychological emblem: righteous resolve, supported by divine association (Hanumat), can steady the mind and intimidate adharma even before weapons are exchanged. Symbols in epic warfare are not mere decoration; they communicate dharma, confidence, and the ethical weight of a cause.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Arjuna’s monkey-emblem banner is visible from afar, blazing like the sun. The imagery then likens Arjuna’s impending assault to drying up an ‘ocean’ of Samsaptaka warriors with the ‘rays’ of his weapons—foreshadowing fierce combat with those sworn to engage Arjuna.