Shloka 25
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 2: Karṇa’s lament, vow, and battle preparation after Bhīṣma’s fall
इमां रौक््मीं नागकक्ष्यां विचित्रां ध्वजं चित्र दिव्यमिन्दीवराड्कम् | श्लक्ष्णैवस्त्रैविप्रमृज्यानयन्तु चित्रां मालां चारुबद्धां सलाजाम्,हाथीको बाँधनेके लिये बनी हुई इस विचित्र सुनहरी रस्सीको तथा कमलके चिह्नसे युक्त दिव्य एवं अद्भुत ध्वजको स्वच्छ सुन्दर वस्त्रोंसे पोंछकर ले आवें। इसके सिवा सुन्दर ढंगसे गुँथी हुई विचित्र माला और खील आदि मांगलिक वस्तुएँ प्रस्तुत करें
sañjaya uvāca |
imāṃ raukmīṃ nāgakakṣyāṃ vicitrāṃ dhvajaṃ citraṃ divyam indīvarāṅkam |
ślakṣṇair vastrair vipramṛjyānayantu citrāṃ mālāṃ cārubaddhāṃ salājām ||
Sañjaya said: “Bring here this wondrous golden elephant-girth and the splendid, divine banner marked with the blue-lotus emblem. Wipe them clean with smooth, spotless cloths and present them. Also bring a beautifully woven garland, along with parched grains and other auspicious offerings.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid the pressures of war, the verse highlights disciplined preparation and the maintenance of auspicious order—cleanliness, proper insignia, and ritual propriety—reflecting a royal ethic of readiness and respect for established norms.
Sañjaya reports instructions to bring ceremonial and martial items: a golden elephant-binding strap, a divine banner with a blue-lotus emblem, and auspicious materials like a garland and parched grains, all to be cleaned and presented as part of formal preparation.