Shloka 23
Droṇa-pātana-paripṛcchā (Inquiry into the Fall of Droṇa) | द्रोणपातनपरिपृच्छा
पदातिषु रथाश्वेषु वारणेषु च सर्वश: । तस्य विद्युदिवा भ्रेषु चरन् केतुरदृश्यत,पैदल सैनिकों, रथियों, घुड़सवारों तथा हाथीसवारोंमें सब ओर विचरता हुआ उनका ध्वज बादलोंमें विद्युत्-सा दृष्टिगोचर हो रहा था
padātiṣu rathāśveṣu vāraṇeṣu ca sarvaśaḥ | tasya vidyud ivābhreṣu caran ketur adṛśyata ||
Sañjaya said: Among the foot-soldiers, the chariot-warriors, the horsemen, and the elephant-riders—everywhere on the field—his banner was seen moving about, flashing like lightning amid the clouds. The image conveys the terrifying momentum of a single warrior’s advance, where the emblem above him becomes a moral sign of dominance and impending destruction in the chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the banner as a moral-symbolic marker: in war, visible signs of a warrior’s advance (his standard) can embody the spread of fear and the inevitability of violence. It highlights how power and reputation operate as ‘omens’ on the battlefield, reminding readers that martial glory is inseparable from widespread suffering.
Sañjaya describes a warrior moving through all divisions of the army—infantry, chariots, cavalry, and elephants—so swiftly and forcefully that his banner is repeatedly seen everywhere, flashing like lightning in clouds, indicating rapid movement and dominance amid the dust and tumult of battle.