Shloka 1
ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam
Description of War Standards
(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके २३ “लोक मिलाकर कुल ४६३ *लोक हैं।) भीस्नआ+ज (2) आसमान एकोनाशीतितमो< ध्याय: श्रीकृष्णका अर्जुनकी विजयके लिये रात्रिमें भगवान शिवका किया करवाना, जागते हुए पाण्डव-सैनिकोंकी अर्जुनके लिये शुभाशंसा तथा अर्जुनकी सफलताके लिये श्रीकृष्णके दारुकके प्रति उत्साहभरे वचन संजय उवाच ततोअर्जुनस्य भवन प्रविश्याप्रतिमं विभु: । स्पृष्टवाम्भ: पुण्डरीकाक्ष: स्थण्डिले शुभलक्षणे
sañjaya uvāca | tato 'rjunasya bhavanaṃ praviśyāpratimaṃ vibhuḥ | spṛṣṭvāmbhaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ sthaṇḍile śubhalakṣaṇe ||
Sanjaya said: Then the mighty Lord, incomparable in splendor, entered Arjuna’s dwelling. The lotus-eyed Krishna, having touched water for purification, sat down upon an auspiciously marked earthen spot—composed and intent, as one who prepares for a sacred act amid the pressures of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the midst of warfare, right action is grounded in inner discipline: purification, auspicious intention, and reverence for sacred order. The verse frames Krishna’s conduct as deliberate and dharmic—preparing the mind and setting before undertaking a consequential act.
Sanjaya narrates that Krishna goes into Arjuna’s quarters, performs a simple act of purification by touching water, and sits on a propitious earthen spot—setting the scene for the night’s sacred undertaking connected with securing Arjuna’s victory.