Shloka 88

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

पज्चानां द्रौपदेयानां प्रतिमा ध्वजभूषणम्‌ | धर्ममारुतशक्राणामश्रिनो श्ष महात्मनो:

Transliteration

pañcānāṁ draupadeyānāṁ pratimā dhvajabhūṣaṇam | dharmamārutaśakrāṇām aśrīno ’ṣau mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : « Ce noble guerrier portait sur son étendard un emblème façonné à l’image des cinq fils de Draupadī, parure de son drapeau, signifiant la force et la protection associées à Dharma, au dieu du Vent et à Indra. »

Word by Word

पञ्चानाम्of the five

द्रौपदेयानाम्of the sons of Draupadī

प्रतिमाthe likeness / image

ध्वजभूषणम्banner-ornament / having a banner as ornament

धर्ममारुतशक्राणाम्of Dharma, Vāyu (Māruta), and Śakra (Indra)

अश्रिणःof the refuge / shelter (one who gives shelter)

चand

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Draupadeyas (five sons of Draupadī)

Dharma (Dharmarāja/Yama)

Māruta (Vāyu)

Śakra (Indra)

dhvaja (banner/standard)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, identity is framed through dharma and rightful affiliations: the banner-emblem links the warrior’s public presence to noble lineage and to divine ideals (Dharma, Vāyu, Indra), suggesting that power should be aligned with righteousness and protection rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a warrior’s standard: it is adorned with an emblem resembling the five Draupadeyas, presented as a distinguished ornament of the banner and associated with the divine powers named (Dharma, Vāyu, Indra).