Shloka 82

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

अतीव शुशुभे तस्य ध्वज: कृष्णाजिनोत्तर: | कमण्डलुर्महाराज जातरूपमय: शुभ:,महाराज! काले मृगचर्म और कमण्डलुके चिह्नसे युक्त उनका सुवर्णमय सुन्दर ध्वज अत्यन्त शोभा पा रहा था

Transliteration

atīva śuśubhe tasya dhvajaḥ kṛṣṇājinottaraḥ | kamaṇḍalur mahārāja jātarūpamayaḥ śubhaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, his banner shone exceedingly—crowned with the emblem of a black antelope-skin; and the auspicious water-pot (kamaṇḍalu), fashioned of gold, added to its splendour. In the midst of war, these ascetic insignia evoke restraint, discipline, and the moral gravity that accompanies power on the battlefield.

Word by Word

अतीवexceedingly, very much

शुशुभेshone, was splendid

तस्यof him, his

ध्वजःbanner, flag

कृष्णाजिनोत्तरःhaving a black-antelope skin as its upper part/covering

कमण्डलुःwater-pot (ascetic’s vessel)

महाराजO great king

जातरूपमयःmade of gold

शुभःauspicious, beautiful

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

dhvaja (banner/standard)

kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin emblem)

kamaṇḍalu (ascetic water-pot)

jātarūpa (gold)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid warfare, the imagery of kṛṣṇājina and kamaṇḍalu on a warrior’s banner recalls ascetic virtues—self-control, discipline, and moral responsibility—suggesting that power should be tempered by restraint and dharmic awareness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the striking appearance of a warrior’s standard: it is splendid, marked by a black antelope-skin emblem and an auspicious golden kamaṇḍalu, highlighting the warrior’s distinctive insignia during the battle account.