Shloka 24
अस्त्रयुद्धे द्रौणिपार्थसंघर्षः — Karṇa’s Bhārgavāstra and the Search for Yudhiṣṭhira
Chapter 45
ते ध्वजैर्वैजयन्तीभिज्वलद्धि: परमायुधै: । सादिभ्षिश्षास्थिता रेजुर्द्रमवन््त इवाचला:,वे हाथी ध्वजों, वैजयन्ती पताकाओं, प्रकाशमान अस्त्र-शस्त्रों तथा सवारोंसे सुशोभित हो वृक्षसमूहोंसे युक्त पर्वतोंके समान शोभा पा रहे थे
te dhvajair vaijayantībhir jvaladdhiḥ paramāyudhaiḥ | sādibhiḥ saśastrāsthitā rejur drumavanta ivācalāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Adorned with lofty banners and vaijayantī pennants, blazing with superb weapons, and filled with mounted warriors and armed men, those war-elephants shone forth like mountains clothed with groves of trees.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how outward splendor—banners, weapons, and imposing formations—can project irresistible power in war, reminding the reader that the battlefield is shaped not only by strategy but also by morale, spectacle, and the intimidating display of force.
Sañjaya narrates the appearance of the assembled forces: the elephant divisions (with riders, standards, and shining weapons) look like tree-covered mountains, conveying the scale and grandeur of the army as the battle intensifies in Karṇa Parva.