Shloka 35
भीष्मसेनासंनिवेशः — Bhīṣma’s Mobilization, Omens, and the Kaurava Array
केतुमानपि मातऊूं विचित्रपरमाड्कुशम् । आस्थित: समरे राजन् मेघस्थ इव भानुमान्,राजन! केतुमान् भी विचित्र एवं विशाल अंकुशसे युक्त गजराजपर आखूढ़ हो समरभूमिमें खड़ा हुआ मेघोंकी घटाके ऊपर प्रकाशित होनेवाले सूर्यदेवके समान जान पड़ता था
ketumān api mātṝṁś ca vicitra-paramāṅkuśam | āsthitaḥ samare rājan meghastha iva bhānumān ||
Sañjaya dijo: “¡Oh rey! Ketumān también—montado en un espléndido elefante real provisto de un ankusha, prodigioso y enorme—se mantuvo firme en el campo de batalla, semejante al sol que brilla desde dentro de un banco de nubes.” La imagen subraya la pompa y el poder de la guerra: deslumbrante e imponente, aunque al servicio del sombrío fin del combate.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily offers a poetic battlefield portrait rather than a direct moral injunction: it highlights how power and splendor can appear radiant and awe-inspiring in war, reminding readers that outward brilliance often accompanies—and can mask—the harsh realities of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warrior Ketumān is positioned in the battle, mounted on a royal elephant equipped with an impressive goad, and he appears radiant—likened to the sun shining amid clouds.