Shloka 696
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 95 — Sātyaki’s Breakthrough and the Routing of Allied Contingents
इन्द्रध्वज इवोत्सृष्टो यन्त्रनिर्मुक्तबन्धन: । राजन! यन्त्रद्वारा बन्धनमुक्त होकर गिरे हुए इन्द्रध्वजके समान वह मरकर पृथ्वीपर धमाकेकी आवाज करता हुआ गिर पड़ा
indradhvaja ivotsṛṣṭo yantranirmuktabandhanaḥ | rājan yantradvārā bandhanamukto bhūmau nipatita indradhvaja iva sa mṛtvā pṛthivyāṃ dhāṃkāraśabdaṃ kurvan nipapāta |
Sañjaya said: “O King, released from its mechanical fastenings, he fell like an Indra-banner that has been let down—striking the earth with a resounding crash as life left him.” The simile underscores the impersonal finality of war: even the mighty, once ‘unfastened’ from the supports of strength and breath, collapse like a ceremonial standard, reminding the listener of the fragility of embodied power and the grim cost of adharma-driven conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights impermanence and the collapse of worldly power: once the supports of life are removed, even the formidable fall like a ceremonial banner released from its fastenings—an ethical reminder of war’s devastating cost and the futility of pride.
Sañjaya reports to the king that a warrior has died and fallen heavily to the ground, comparing the fall to an Indra-banner being lowered after its mechanical bindings are released, emphasizing the loud, final impact.