Shloka 15
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 55 — Sañjaya’s Report on Pāṇḍava Readiness and Arjuna’s Dhvaja
कल्माषाज्जस्तित्तिरिचित्रपृष्ठा भ्रात्रा दत्ता: प्रीयता फाल्गुनेन । भ्रातुर्वीरस्य स्वैस्तुरज़ैविशिष्टा मुदा युक्ता: सहदेवं वहन्ति
kalmaṣājjastittiricitra-pṛṣṭhā bhrātrā dattāḥ prīyatā phālgunena | bhrātur vīrasya svais turagair viśiṣṭā mudā yuktāḥ sahadevaṁ vahanti ||
Sañjaya said: Delighting in his younger brother, Phālguna (Arjuna) gifted Sahadeva horses of the Kalmaṣa breed, their bodies mottled and their backs speckled like a partridge. Finer even than Arjuna’s own steeds, those splendid horses, gladly harnessed, bear the weight of Sahadeva’s chariot.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed through familial responsibility and generosity: a warrior’s excellence is not only personal prowess but also supporting kin with the best resources, strengthening unity and readiness for righteous action.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna (Phālguna) giving Sahadeva superior, mottled horses—speckled like a partridge—which are joyfully harnessed and carry Sahadeva’s chariot as the Pandavas organize their forces.