Shloka 3
ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam
Description of War Standards
संतस्तार शुभां शय्यां दर्भवैदूर्यसंनिभै: । ततो माल्येन विधिवल्लाजैर्गन्धै: सुमज्रलै: २ ।। अलंचकार तां शय्यां परिवार्यायुधोत्तमै: । ततः स्पृष्टोदके पार्थे विनीता: परिचारका:
saṃstastāra śubhāṃ śayyāṃ darbhavaidūryasaṃnibhaiḥ | tato mālyena vidhivallājairgandhaiḥ sumañjalaiḥ || alaṃcakāra tāṃ śayyāṃ parivāryāyudhoत्तamaiḥ | tataḥ spṛṣṭodake pārthe vinītāḥ paricārakāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: They spread a splendid couch, fashioned to resemble darbha-grass and gleaming like vaidūrya (the cat’s-eye gem). Then, in due rite, they adorned it with garlands and with choice fragrant substances, arranged in fine handfuls. Setting excellent weapons all around, they completed its decoration. Thereafter, when Pārtha had been ritually purified by touching water, the well-disciplined attendants stood ready to serve—order and reverence upheld even amid the harshness of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a battlefield setting, conduct is expected to remain ordered and respectful: ritual cleanliness (spṛṣṭodaka), disciplined service (vinītāḥ paricārakāḥ), and proper procedure (vidhivat) reflect a dharmic ideal of self-control and reverence amid violence.
Attendants prepare and ornament a splendid couch—spreading it, decorating it with garlands and perfumes, and placing excellent weapons around it. After Pārtha (Arjuna) performs a water-touch purification, the trained attendants stand ready to serve.