Shloka 43
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
आदित्यपथग: केतुस्तस्याद्भुतमनोरम: । शासनात् पुरुहृतस्य निर्मितो विश्वकर्मणा
ādityapathagaḥ ketus tasyādbhuta-manoramaḥ | śāsanāt puruhṛtasya nirmito viśvakarmaṇā ||
Sañjaya dit : « Son étendard — merveilleux et captivant — se voyait flotter très haut dans le ciel, sur la route du soleil. Viśvakarman lui-même l’avait façonné, obéissant à l’ordre de Puruhūta (Indra). »
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how emblems of power (like a banner) are portrayed as grounded in higher authority: divine command (Indra) and divine skill (Viśvakarman). Ethically, it suggests that legitimacy and morale in conflict are reinforced through symbols believed to be sanctioned beyond mere human ambition.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s splendid banner flying high in the sky, emphasizing its extraordinary beauty and its divine origin—crafted by Viśvakarman at Indra’s command—thereby magnifying the warrior’s stature on the battlefield.