Shloka 35

Devanagari script

त॑ हस्तिकक्षाप्रवरं च केतु सुवर्णमुक्तामणिवज्पृष्ठम्‌ । ज्ञानप्रकर्षोत्तमशिल्पियुक्तै: कृतं सुरूप॑ तपनीयचित्रम्‌,हाथीकी साँकलके चिह्नसे युक्त उस श्रेष्ठ ध्वजाके पृष्ठभागमें सुवर्ण, मुक्ता, मणि और हीरे जड़े हुए थे। अत्यन्त ज्ञानवान्‌ एवं उत्तम शिल्पियोंने मिलकर उस सुवर्णजटित सुन्दर ध्वजाका निर्माण किया था

Transliteration

taṁ hastikakṣāpravaraṁ ca ketuṁ suvarṇamuktāmaṇivajrapṛṣṭham | jñānaprakarṣottamaśilpiyuktaiḥ kṛtaṁ surūpaṁ tapanīyacitram ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: That excellent banner, marked with the emblem of an elephant’s girth, had its surface inlaid with gold, pearls, gems, and diamonds. Crafted by master artisans of exceptional knowledge and skill, it was beautifully formed and richly ornamented with refined gold.

Word by Word

• {'taṁ': 'that (accusative singular

• referring to the banner)', 'hastikakṣā': 'elephant’s girth/strap

• also an emblem or mark associated with an elephant', 'pravaram': 'excellent, foremost', 'ketum': 'banner, standard', 'suvarṇa': 'gold', 'muktā': 'pearl', 'maṇi': 'gem, jewel', 'vajra': 'diamond

• also ‘vajra’ as a hard/adamantine substance', 'pṛṣṭham': 'back, surface (here: the face/surface of the banner)', 'jñāna': 'knowledge, expertise', 'prakarṣa': 'excellence, eminence, high degree', 'uttama': 'best, superior', 'śilpi': 'artisan, craftsman', 'yuktaiḥ': 'endowed with

• furnished with (instrumental plural)', 'kṛtam': 'made, fashioned', 'surūpam': 'well-formed, beautiful', 'tapanīya': 'refined gold', 'citram': 'variegated, ornamented, splendidly decorated'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• ketu (banner/standard)
• hastikakṣā (elephant-girth emblem/mark)
• gold (suvarṇa/tapanīya)
• pearls (muktā)
• gems (maṇi)
• diamonds (vajra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how outward magnificence—royal banners adorned with precious materials—functions as a symbol of authority and martial confidence, yet it also implicitly contrasts material display with the deeper ethical stakes of the war, where true worth is tested by conduct (dharma) rather than ornament.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya is describing an outstanding war-banner (ketu/dhvaja), distinguished by an elephant-related emblem and lavish inlays of gold, pearls, gems, and diamonds, emphasizing the grandeur and preparedness of the forces in the Karna Parva battle setting.