Shloka 22
आयोधनदर्शनम्
Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra
काउ्चनै: कवचैरनिष्किर्मणिभिश्न महात्मनाम् । अड्डदै्हस्तकेयूरै: स्रग्भिश्न॒ समलड्कृतम्,“उन महामनस्वी वीरोंके सुवर्णमय कवचों, निष्कों, मणियों, अंगदों, केयूरों और हारोंसे समरांगण विभूषित दिखायी देता है
kāñcanaiḥ kavacair aniṣkirmaṇibhiś ca mahātmanām | aṅgadaiḥ hastakeyūraiḥ sragbhiś ca samalaṅkṛtam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The battlefield appeared adorned with the golden cuirasses of those great-souled heroes—along with their neck-ornaments and gems, their armlets and hand-ornaments, and their garlands—so that even amid slaughter it bore the grim splendor of royal finery.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the irony of worldly glory: ornaments and royal insignia that signify honor and heroism become mere scattered adornments of a battlefield. It implicitly points to the impermanence of external splendor and the ethical cost of war, where even the marks of nobility are swallowed by destruction.
Vaiśampāyana describes the scene after the great battle: the field is strewn with the golden armor and ornaments of fallen or routed great warriors—neck-ornaments, gems, armlets, bracelets, and garlands—making the battlefield look 'decorated' despite being a place of death.