Shloka 61
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
नीलोत्पलसवर्णस्तु तपनीयविभूषिता: । शैब्यं चित्ररथं संख्ये चित्रमाल्या3वहन् हया:,नील-कमलके समान रंगवाले, सुवर्णमय आभूषणोंसे विभूषित विचित्र मालाओंवाले अश्व विचित्र रथसे युक्त राजा शैब्यको युद्धस्थलमें ले गये
nīlotpalasavarṇās tu tapanīyavibhūṣitāḥ | śaibyaṃ citrarathaṃ saṅkhye citramālyāvahan hayāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Au plus fort de la bataille, des chevaux de la couleur du lotus bleu, parés d’ornements d’or et chargés de guirlandes bigarrées, portèrent le roi Śaibya—sur son char splendide—au cœur de la mêlée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the juxtaposition of royal magnificence with the solemn reality of warfare: external beauty and honorific display accompany a kṣatriya’s entry into battle, reminding the listener that glory and grave responsibility arise together in the arena of dharma and conflict.
Sañjaya describes King Śaibya being carried into the battlefield on a splendid chariot drawn by blue-lotus-colored horses, richly adorned with gold ornaments and decorated with colorful garlands.