Shloka 32
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
चूडामणीन् नरेन्द्राणां विचित्रा: काउ्चनस्रज: । छत्राणि चापविद्धानि चामरव्यजनानि च,“नरपतियोंके मणिमय मुकुट, विचित्र स्वर्णमय हार, छत्र, चँवर और व्यजन फेंके पड़े हैं
cūḍāmaṇīn narendrāṇāṃ vicitrāḥ kāñcanasrajaḥ | chatrāṇi cāpaviddhāni cāmaravyajanāni ca ||
Sañjaya said: “The jewel-studded diadems of kings, their ornate golden garlands, and their umbrellas—along with the yak-tail fans and hand-fans—lie cast aside. The battlefield has reduced the emblems of sovereignty and honor to discarded objects, exposing the moral cost of war and the fragility of worldly power.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly sovereignty: crowns, garlands, and royal insignia—symbols of authority and prestige—become meaningless when life is lost. It implicitly critiques attachment to power and highlights the ethical gravity and human cost of war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the aftermath on the battlefield: the royal emblems of fallen or routed kings—diadems, golden garlands, parasols, and fans—are seen lying discarded, signaling defeat, death, and the collapse of royal splendor amid combat.