Shloka 13
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
महेन्द्रकेतव: शुभ्रा महेन्द्रसदनेष्विव । संनद्धास्ते प्रवीराश्च ददृशुर्युद्धकाड्क्षिण:,जैसे इन्द्रभवनमें देवराज इन्द्रके चमकीले ध्वज फहराते रहते हैं, उसी प्रकार कौरव- पाण्डवसेनाके ध्वज भी फहरा रहे थे। दोनों सेनाओंके प्रमुख वीर युद्धकी अभिलाषा रखकर कवच आदिसे सुसज्जित दिखायी दे रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca | mahendraketavaḥ śubhrā mahendrasadaneṣv iva | sannaddhās te pravīrāś ca dadṛśur yuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Like the bright banners of Indra that gleam in Indra’s own celestial hall, so too the standards of the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava hosts shone forth. Those foremost warriors, fully armed and armored, were seen standing ready—each longing for battle as the great conflict was about to begin.
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.