Shloka 13
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
महेन्द्रकेतव: शुभ्रा महेन्द्रसदनेष्विव । संनद्धास्ते प्रवीराश्च ददृशुर्युद्धकाड्क्षिण:
sañjaya uvāca | mahendraketavaḥ śubhrā mahendrasadaneṣv iva | sannaddhās te pravīrāś ca dadṛśur yuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ ||
जैसे इन्द्रभवन में देवराज इन्द्र के उज्ज्वल ध्वज शोभते हैं, वैसे ही कौरव और पाण्डव-सेनाओं के ध्वज दमक रहे थे। वे प्रधान वीर कवच-शस्त्रों से सुसज्जित, युद्ध की अभिलाषा लिये, युद्धारम्भ की प्रतीक्षा में दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethos of readiness and resolve: the warriors, fully equipped, stand eager for combat. The comparison to Indra’s radiant standards elevates the scene, suggesting that the coming battle is momentous and charged with a sense of destiny, where questions of dharma will be tested through action.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield just before fighting begins: the armies’ banners are visibly shining and waving, and the leading heroes on both sides are seen armed and prepared, openly desiring the onset of war.