Shloka 116
ऋक्षचर्मावनद्धाड़ं नल्वमात्रं महारथम् | उसके रथमें सैकड़ों क्षुद्र घण्टिकाओंका मधुर घोष होता था। उसपर लाल रंगकी ध्वजा-पताका फहरा रही थी। उस रथके सम्पूर्ण अंगोंपर रीछकी खाल मढ़ी गयी थी। वह विशाल रथ चारों ओरसे चार सौ हाथ लंबा था
sañjaya uvāca | ṛkṣacarmāvanaddhāḍyaṃ nalvamātraṃ mahāratham | tasya rathe śatāni kṣudraghaṇṭikānāṃ madhuro ghoṣo bhavati sma | tasmin rakte dhvajā-patāke praphullite | tasya rathasya sarvāṅgeṣu ṛkṣacarmāṇi pariveṣṭitāni | sa mahārathaś caturdiśaṃ catuḥśatahastapramāṇaḥ paritaḥ ||
Kereta perang agung itu terselubung kulit beruang dan berwujud amat besar. Dari sana terdengar denting merdu ratusan lonceng kecil. Panji merah berkibar di atasnya. Setiap bagian kereta disarungi kulit beruang, dan kereta raksasa itu membentang empat ratus hasta ke segala arah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights how war magnifies external splendor—sound, color, and ornament—around instruments of violence. In ethical terms, it invites reflection on how grandeur and sensory allure can mask the destructive purpose of battle.
Sañjaya is describing a particular enormous chariot on the battlefield: it is wrapped in bearskin, fitted with many small bells producing a sweet sound, and marked by a red banner, emphasizing the formidable and striking presence of its rider’s war-car.