Shloka 89
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
क्रमश: धर्म, वायु, इन्द्र तथा महात्मा अश्विनीकुमारोंकी प्रतिमाएँ पाँचों द्रौपदीपुत्रोंके ध्वजोंकी शोभा बढ़ाती थीं ।। अभिमन्यो: कुमारस्य शार्ज्गपक्षी हिरण्मय: । रथे ध्वजवरो राजंस्तप्तचामीकरोज्ज्वल:
kramaśaḥ dharma-vāyu-indrāḥ tathā mahātmā aśvinīkumārau pratīmāḥ pañca draupadīputrāṇāṁ dhvajānāṁ śobhāṁ vardhayanti sma || abhimanyoḥ kumārasya śārṅgapakṣī hiraṇmayaḥ | rathe dhvajavaro rājan tapta-cāmīkarojjvalaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In due order, the emblems of Dharma, Vāyu, Indra, and the noble Aśvin twins enhanced the splendor of the five banners borne by Draupadī’s sons. And on the chariot of the young prince Abhimanyu, O King, there shone a foremost banner—golden, radiant like heated refined gold—bearing the figure of a bird with śārṅga-like wings.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial display is framed by ethical and divine symbolism: banners are not mere decoration but reminders of Dharma, vital force (Vāyu), sovereignty (Indra), and healing/protection (Aśvins). In the epic’s moral imagination, valor is ideally accompanied by alignment with higher principles.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield array by focusing on the standards atop the warriors’ chariots. The five sons of Draupadī bear banners adorned with divine emblems, and Abhimanyu’s chariot is distinguished by a brilliant golden banner featuring a bird emblem, emphasizing his prominence among the fighters.