Shloka 16
कर्णस्य सेनापत्यं, माकरव्यूहः, पाण्डवानामर्धचन्द्रव्यूहः
Karna’s Command; Mākara Formation; Pandava Crescent Counter-Array
स राजमध्ये पुरुषप्रवीरो रराज जाम्बूनदचित्रवर्मा । पद्मप्रभो वह्विरिवाल्पधूमो मेघान्तरे सूर्य इव प्रकाश:
sa rājamadhye puruṣapravīro rarāja jāmbūnadacitravarmā | padmaprabho vahnir ivālpadhūmo meghāntare sūrya iva prakāśaḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: En medio de los reyes congregados, Duryodhana, el más señalado entre los hombres, resplandecía. Ceñido con una maravillosa coraza de oro de Jāmbūnada y radiante como un loto, ardía como un fuego de poco humo y como el sol que rompe entre nubes: visible, imperioso y entregado al despliegue marcial.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward brilliance—armor, radiance, and public display—can project power and inspire followers, yet it also implicitly points to the ethical tension of war: splendor and heroism do not by themselves establish dharma; they can equally serve pride and destructive resolve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana stands among the gathered kings, wearing a striking golden cuirass, and appears exceptionally radiant—likened to a clear flame and to the sun emerging through clouds—signaling his prominence and martial readiness in the unfolding battle context.