Shloka 29

ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam

Description of War Standards

Devanagari script

श्वो निरीक्षन्तु मे वीर्य त्रयो लोका महाहवे

Transliteration

śvo nirīkṣantu me vīryaṃ trayo lokā mahāhave

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Let the three worlds behold my prowess tomorrow in the great battle.”

Word by Word

• श्वः: tomorrow
• श्वः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्वस्
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• निरीक्षन्तु: let (them) behold/see
• निरीक्षन्तु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ईक्ष्
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• मे: my
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्)

• वीर्यम्: valor, prowess
• वीर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• लोकाः: worlds
• लोकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• महाहवे: in the great battle
• महाहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाहव
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• the three worlds (trayaḥ lokāḥ)
• the great battle (mahāhava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights the warrior’s resolve and the desire for one’s deeds to stand before the widest moral audience—‘the three worlds.’ It reflects the kṣatriya ideal of courage and public accountability, while also hinting at the ethical tension of seeking glory amid destructive war.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukṣetra conflict, a combatant (reported by Sañjaya) declares that on the next day he will display extraordinary prowess in battle, as if the entire cosmos will witness it.