Shloka 53
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
पतितान् विविधांश्षापांश्रित्रान् हेमपरिष्कृतान् । कुथा बहुविधाकाराश्चामरान् व्यजनानि च,नाना प्रकारके विचित्र एवं स्वर्णभूषित धनुष गिरे हुए थे। हाथीकी पीठपर बिछाये जानेवाले भाँति-भाँतिके कम्बल तथा चँँवर और व्यजन भी यत्र-तत्र गिरे दिखायी देते थे
sañjaya uvāca |
patitān vividhān śāpān śritrān hemapariṣkṛtān |
kuthā bahuvidhākārāś cāmarān vyajanāni ca ||
Sañjaya said: “Scattered about were many fallen weapons and implements—variously fashioned, richly adorned with gold—along with diverse coverings (as used on elephants’ backs), and also yak-tail whisks and fans. The battlefield appeared strewn with the trappings of royal power, now cast down amid the ruin of war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly splendor: symbols of sovereignty and luxury—gold ornaments, royal fans, and coverings—become mere debris when dharma-driven conflict turns into devastation.
Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene: weapons and royal accoutrements (elephant coverings, yak-tail whisks, and fans) are seen fallen and scattered, conveying the scale of disorder and loss.