Shloka 28
ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam
Description of War Standards
अहं विजित्य तान् सर्वान् सहसा सहयद्विपान्
ahaṃ vijitya tān sarvān sahasā sahayadvipān
Sañjaya berkata—“Aku telah menaklukkan mereka semua—beserta gajah-gajah mereka—dengan seketika…”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line underscores how quickly martial power can overturn armies, including their strongest assets (war-elephants). Ethically, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: kṣatriya prowess and duty in war versus the tragic cost and moral weight of conquest achieved through force.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, begins describing a swift defeat of opposing forces, explicitly noting that the victory includes routing or destroying the elephant contingent—an indicator of a decisive, high-impact battlefield turn.