Shloka 47

Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure

Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin

Devanagari script

विद्धा: सादिध्वजाग्रेषु सुवर्णविकृता: कुथा: । विचित्रान्‌ मणिचित्रांश्ष॒ जातरूपपरिष्कृतान्‌

Transliteration

viddhāḥ sādidhvajāgreṣu suvarṇavikṛtāḥ kuthāḥ | vicitrān maṇicittrāṃś ca jātarūpapariṣkṛtān ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “There were banners and standards—pierced and torn—at the very tips of the flagstaffs. Yet they were fashioned with gold, adorned in many colors, inlaid with gems, and richly finished with wrought gold.”

Word by Word

• विद्धाः: pierced, struck
• विद्धाः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: विध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सादि: in the saddles
• सादि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• ध्वजाग्रेषु: on the tops of the banners/flagstaffs
• ध्वजाग्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वजाग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• सुवर्णविकृताः: fashioned/ornamented with gold
• सुवर्णविकृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्णविकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• कुथाः: saddle-cloths, coverings
• कुथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• विचित्रान्: variegated, splendid
• विचित्रान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मणिचित्रान्: decorated with gems
• मणिचित्रान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणिचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जातरूपपरिष्कृतान्: adorned/finished with gold
• जातरूपपरिष्कृतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जातरूपपरिष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• dhvaja (war-banners/standards)
• flagstaff tops (dhvajāgra)
• gold (suvarṇa/jātarūpa)
• gems (maṇi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse juxtaposes martial destruction with royal ornament: even what is splendid and carefully crafted (gold- and gem-adorned standards) becomes pierced in war. It implicitly highlights the fragility of worldly grandeur amid violence and the cost of kṣatriya conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, focusing on the war-standards and banners: they are ornate—golden and jewel-inlaid—yet visibly damaged and pierced at the tops of the flagstaffs, indicating the intensity of the fighting.