Shloka 89
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
क्रमश: धर्म, वायु, इन्द्र तथा महात्मा अश्विनीकुमारोंकी प्रतिमाएँ पाँचों द्रौपदीपुत्रोंके ध्वजोंकी शोभा बढ़ाती थीं ।। अभिमन्यो: कुमारस्य शार्ज्गपक्षी हिरण्मय: । रथे ध्वजवरो राजंस्तप्तचामीकरोज्ज्वल:
kramaśaḥ dharma-vāyu-indrāḥ tathā mahātmā aśvinīkumārau pratīmāḥ pañca draupadīputrāṇāṁ dhvajānāṁ śobhāṁ vardhayanti sma || abhimanyoḥ kumārasya śārṅgapakṣī hiraṇmayaḥ | rathe dhvajavaro rājan tapta-cāmīkarojjvalaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Dans l’ordre prescrit, les emblèmes de Dharma, de Vāyu, d’Indra et des nobles jumeaux Aśvin rehaussaient la splendeur des cinq bannières portées par les cinq fils de Draupadī. Et sur le char du jeune prince Abhimanyu, ô Roi, brillait une bannière d’entre toutes—d’or, éclatante comme l’or fin porté au feu—où figurait un oiseau aux ailes semblables au śārṅga.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial display is framed by ethical and divine symbolism: banners are not mere decoration but reminders of Dharma, vital force (Vāyu), sovereignty (Indra), and healing/protection (Aśvins). In the epic’s moral imagination, valor is ideally accompanied by alignment with higher principles.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield array by focusing on the standards atop the warriors’ chariots. The five sons of Draupadī bear banners adorned with divine emblems, and Abhimanyu’s chariot is distinguished by a brilliant golden banner featuring a bird emblem, emphasizing his prominence among the fighters.