Shloka 38

ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam

Description of War Standards

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्मकृतर्दिव्यैरश्वानपि विभूषितान्‌ बलाहकं मेघपुष्पं शैब्यं सुग्रीवमेव च

Transliteration

viśvakarmakṛtair divyair aśvān api vibhūṣitān balāhakaṃ meghapuṣpaṃ śaibyaṃ sugrīvam eva ca

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Bahkan kuda-kuda ilahi buatan Viśvakarman pun telah ia hias dan ia pasangkan pada kereta—Balāhaka, Meghapuṣpa, Śaibya, dan juga Sugrīva.”

Word by Word

विश्वकर्मकृतैःmade by Viśvakarman

दिव्यैःdivine

अश्वान्horses

अपिalso/even

विभूषितान्adorned/decorated

बलाहकम्Balāhaka (name of a horse)

मेघपुष्पम्Meghapuṣpa (name of a horse)

शैब्यम्Śaibya (name of a horse)

सुग्रीवम्Sugrīva (name of a horse)

एवindeed/just

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Viśvakarman

Balāhaka

Meghapuṣpa

Śaibya

Sugrīva

divine horses

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that battlefield effectiveness is supported by more than individual heroism: divine-quality resources, skilled craftsmanship, and careful adornment/equipment contribute to power. Ethically, it points to the role of preparation and support systems behind visible valor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior’s chariot-team: four named horses, described as divine and crafted by Viśvakarman, are adorned and ready—heightening the sense of formidable might and auspicious grandeur amid the Drona Parva battle account.