Shloka 8
Sainyavinyāsa–Lakṣaṇa (Disposition of Armies and Battlefield Omens) | सैन्यविन्यास–लक्षणम्
चन्द्रप्रभं श्वेतमथातपत्र सौवर्णसख्रग् भ्राजति चोत्तमाड़े । त॑ सर्वतः शकुनि: पर्वतीयै: सार्थ गान्धारैर्याति गान्धारराज:,उसके मस्तकपर चन्द्रमाके समान कान्तिमान् श्वेत छत्र तना हुआ था और कण्ठमें सोनेकी माला सुशोभित हो रही थी। गान्धारराज शकुनि गान्धारदेशके पर्वतीय योद्धाओंके साथ आकर दुर्योधनको सब ओरसे घेरकर चल रहा था
sañjaya uvāca |
candraprabhaṁ śvetam athātapatraṁ sauvarṇa-srag bhrājati cottamāṅge |
taṁ sarvataḥ śakuniḥ parvataiyaiḥ sārthaṁ gāndhārair yāti gāndhāra-rājaḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Un parasol blanco, radiante como la luna, se alzaba sobre él, y una guirnalda de oro resplandecía en su cabeza. El rey de Gāndhāra, Śakuni, avanzó junto a los guerreros montañeses de Gāndhāra, moviéndose para rodear a Duryodhana por todos los flancos: imagen de ostentosa protección que, a la vez, insinúa la apretada trama de consejo e influencia que ceñía la causa de los Kaurava mientras las formaciones de guerra tomaban forma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how outward symbols of sovereignty (parasol, gold garland) and the visible support of allies can project legitimacy and strength, yet it also suggests an ethical tension: power is being consolidated around a cause driven by ambition and contested dharma, where influence and counsel (notably Śakuni’s) shape the course toward conflict.
Sañjaya describes the Kaurava-side leaders and their formations: Śakuni, identified as the king of Gāndhāra, advances with Gāndhāra’s mountain warriors, moving in a way that surrounds and supports Duryodhana, while royal emblems—especially a moon-bright white parasol and a golden garland—mark the central figure’s prominence.