Shloka 84
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
ध्वजं तु कुरुराजस्य पाण्डवस्य महौजस: । दृष्टवानस्मि सौवर्ण सोम॑ ग्रहगणान्वितम्,महातेजस्वी कुरुराज पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरकी सुवर्णमयी ध्वजाको मैंने चन्द्रमा तथा ग्रहगणोंके चिह्नसे सुशोभित देखा है
sañjaya uvāca |
dhvajaṃ tu kururājasya pāṇḍavasya mahaujasaḥ |
dṛṣṭavān asmi sauvarṇaṃ somagrahagaṇānvitam ||
Sanjaya said: I beheld the banner of the Kuru king—the mighty Pandava—made of gold and adorned with the emblems of the Moon and the host of planets. In the midst of war, the royal standard functions as a moral and political sign: it proclaims legitimate sovereignty and steadiness of purpose, and it gathers the army’s resolve around the king’s dharma-bound leadership.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a king’s standard is more than decoration: it symbolizes rightful authority, collective identity, and the ethical resolve (dharma) expected of a ruler even amid violence.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that he has seen Yudhiṣṭhira’s royal banner—golden and marked with the Moon and planets—describing the Pandava king’s presence and the auspicious, emblematic signs associated with his army.