Shloka 96
उल्काशतै: सम्प्रदीप्त॑ विमानमिव भूतले । विचित्र पंखवाले पैने बाणोंद्वारा सब ओरसे व्याप्त हुआ अर्जुनका रथ भूतलपर सैकड़ों मसालोंसे प्रकाशित होनेवाले विमानके समान शोभा पाता था
sañjaya uvāca | ulkāśataiḥ sampradīptaṃ vimānam iva bhūtale | vicitra-pakṣa-vālaiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ bāṇaiḥ sarvataḥ vyāptaṃ arjunasya rathaḥ bhūtale śobhate, śataśaḥ ulkābhiḥ prakāśitaṃ vimānam iva |
Sanjaya said: On the battlefield, Arjuna’s chariot—covered on every side by sharp arrows with variegated feathers—shone like a celestial car blazing with hundreds of meteors or torches.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness under assault: in righteous warfare, discipline and courage can transform even a perilous situation—being surrounded by arrows—into a display of unwavering resolve. It also reflects the epic’s ethical tension: war is horrific, yet the kshatriya ideal prizes composure and duty amid danger.
Sanjaya narrates the battle scene to Dhritarashtra, describing how Arjuna’s chariot on the ground is completely surrounded by sharp, multi-feathered arrows, yet appears radiant—likened to a blazing celestial vehicle illuminated by hundreds of fiery meteors or torches.