Shloka 4
Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation
बहुवर्ण विचित्र च दिव्यं वानरलक्षणम् । अपश्याम महाराज ध्वजं गाण्डीवधन्चन:,महाराज! अर्जुनका ध्वज सिंहपुच्छके समान वानरकी पूँछसे युक्त था। वह प्रज्वलित पर्वत-सा दिखायी देता था। वृक्षोंमें कहीं भी अटकता नहीं था। आकाशमें उदित हुए धूमकेतु-सा दृष्टिगोचर होता था। वह अनेक रंगोंसे सुशोभित, विचित्र, दिव्य एवं वानर- चिह्से युक्त था। इस प्रकार हमने गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुके उस ध्वजको उस समय देखा
sañjaya uvāca |
bahuvarṇa-vicitraṃ ca divyaṃ vānara-lakṣaṇam |
apaśyāma mahārāja dhvajaṃ gāṇḍīva-dhanvanaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, we beheld the banner of Arjuna, the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow—divine, wondrous, and adorned with many colors, bearing the emblem of a monkey. In the war’s charged moral atmosphere, this radiant standard functions not merely as decoration but as a sign of sanctioned strength and protective auspiciousness, proclaiming the warrior’s resolve and the perceived legitimacy of his cause before the armies.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward symbols in epic warfare—like a warrior’s banner—serve as moral and psychological declarations: they signal identity, confidence, and perceived auspicious support. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical landscape, such signs reinforce the idea that dharma is contested not only through arguments but also through public tokens of legitimacy and resolve.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra what he sees on the battlefield: Arjuna’s standard, described as divine, multicolored, and marked with a monkey emblem. It is part of the larger battlefield description in Bhīṣma Parva, where standards and formations are observed as indicators of power, morale, and impending action.