Shloka 31
पताकिनं शोणहयं वेदिकृष्णाजिन ध्वजम् । द्रोणस्यप रथमालोक्य प्रहृष्टा: कुरवो5भवन्,उस समय वेदी और काले मृगचर्मके चिह्नसे युक्त ध्वजवाले, पताकासे सुशोभित और लाल घोड़ोंसे जुते हुए द्रोणाचार्यके रथको देखकर समस्त कौरव बड़े प्रसन्न हुए
patākinaṁ śoṇahayaṁ vedīkṛṣṇājinadhvajam | droṇasya ratham ālokya prahṛṣṭāḥ kuravo 'bhavan ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing Droṇa’s chariot—adorned with banners, yoked to red horses, and bearing a standard marked with the sacrificial altar and a black antelope-skin—the Kauravas were filled with delight. In the moral atmosphere of the war, their joy reflects renewed confidence in martial prowess and command, even as the conflict continues to exact a grave ethical cost.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how external signs—commanders, emblems, and martial display—can rapidly shift collective morale. Ethically, it invites reflection on how confidence in power and victory can overshadow the deeper demands of dharma during war.
Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava side becomes delighted upon seeing Droṇācārya’s chariot, distinguished by red horses and a ritual-symbolic standard (vedī and kṛṣṇājina), suggesting Droṇa’s prominent presence and the army’s renewed enthusiasm.