Shloka 37
Adhyāya 92: Irāvanta-śoka, punaḥ-pravṛttiḥ saṅgrāmasya
Arjuna’s grief and the battle’s renewed intensity
हारै्निष्कै: सकेयूरै: शिरोभिश्व सकुण्डलै: । उष्णीषैरपविद्धैश्व॒ पताकाभिक्षु सर्वश:,राजन! टूटे हुए रथ, कटे हुए ध्वज, छिन्न-भिन्न हुए बड़े-बड़े आयुध, चँवर, व्यजन, अत्यन्त प्रकाशमान छत्र, सोनेके हार, केयूर, कुण्डलमण्डित मस्तक, गिरे हुए शिरोभूषण (पगड़ी आदि), पताका, सुन्दर अनुकर्ष,- जोत और बागडोर आदिसे आच्छादित हुई वह संग्रामभूमि ऐसी जान पड़ती थी, मानो वसन्तऋतुमें उसपर भाँति-भाँतिके फूल गिरे हुए हों
hārai niṣkaiḥ sakeyūraiḥ śirobhiś ca sakuṇḍalaiḥ | uṣṇīṣair apaviddhaiś ca patākābhis tu sarvaśaḥ || rājan |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, di mana-mana medan laga dipenuhi kalung-kalung emas, niṣka (kepingan emas), gelang lengan; kepala-kepala terpenggal yang masih berhias anting; sorban yang terlempar; dan panji-panji yang jatuh ke segala arah.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly splendor and the moral cost of conflict: ornaments and emblems of status—meant to signify honor—become scattered debris, revealing how war turns human pride and beauty into transient, tragic remnants.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battlefield is littered with ornaments, severed heads still wearing earrings, fallen turbans, and banners everywhere, making the ground look as if it were covered with spring flowers—an aesthetic comparison that intensifies the horror by describing it in vivid, poetic detail.