Shloka 35
दानपात्रापात्र-निर्णयः / Determining Worthy Gifts, Recipients, and Permissible Food
भयानक पराक्रमी कुन्तीपुत्र भीमसेनने उन बैलोंकी रास सँभाली। अर्जुनने तेजस्वी श्वैत छत्र धारण किया ।। प्रियमाणं च तच्छत्र॑ पाण्डुरं रथमूर्थनि । शुशुभे तारकाकीर्ण सितमभ्रमिवाम्बरे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | prīyamāṇaṃ ca tac chatraṃ pāṇḍuraṃ rathamūrdhani | śuśubhe tārakākīrṇaṃ sitam abhram ivāmbare ||
Bhīmasena, Kuntī’s son of fearsome might, held the reins of those oxen, and Arjuna bore the radiant white royal parasol. Raised above the chariot’s crest, that pale-white parasol shone splendidly—like a white cloud in a star-strewn sky. The image heightens the Pāṇḍavas’ dignity and auspicious authority, presenting their martial readiness as ordered and ritually righteous rather than mere display of violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical ideal of ordered, legitimate power: royal insignia like the white parasol symbolize sovereignty exercised with dignity and auspicious restraint, suggesting that even in conflict, authority should appear disciplined and aligned with dharma rather than chaotic aggression.
The narrator describes a ceremonial detail on a chariot: a pale-white parasol is held above the chariot’s top and gleams beautifully, compared to a white cloud in a star-filled sky—an image that magnifies the grandeur and auspicious presence of the heroes’ procession.