Shloka 9
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 18: सेनानिनादः, ध्वज-दीप्तिः, भीष्मरक्षण-व्यवस्था च
Battle Muster: Soundscape, Banners, and the Protection of Bhīṣma
कुरुयोधवरा राजन् विचित्रायुधकार्मुका: । उद्यतैरायुधैश्ित्रैस्तलबद्धा: पताकिन:,राजन! कौरवपक्षके श्रेष्ठ योद्धा विचित्र आयुध और धनुष धारण किये बड़ी शोभा पा रहे थे। उनके विचित्र आयुध ऊपरकी ओर उठे हुए थे। उन्होंने हाथोंमें दस्ताने पहन रखे थे और उनकी पताकाएँ आकाशमें फहरा रही थीं
sañjaya uvāca | kuru-yodhavarā rājan vicitrāyudha-kārmukāḥ | udyatair āyudhaiś citrais tala-baddhāḥ patākinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, the foremost warriors of the Kurus, bearing wondrous weapons and bows, stood resplendent. Their varied arms were lifted aloft, their hands secured with protective straps, and their banners streamed high—an image of martial pride and the ominous resolve of the Kaurava host as the battle is about to begin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the outward splendor and preparedness of warriors at the threshold of war, hinting that martial glory can accompany grave moral consequences; it frames the battlefield as a place where kṣatriya valor is displayed even as dharma will be tested by the coming violence.
Sañjaya describes to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra the Kaurava-side elite warriors standing ready: their weapons are raised, their hands are secured for combat, and their banners fly—signaling that the armies are poised for the battle to commence.