Shloka 20

Devanagari script

रक्तचन्दनसंदिग्धौ मणिहेमविभूषितौ

Transliteration

raktacandanasandigdhau maṇihemavibhūṣitau

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Smeared with red sandalwood paste and adorned with jewels and gold…” The line evokes the striking, almost ceremonial splendor of warriors and their gear amid the battlefield—an aesthetic of honor and display that stands in tension with the grim ethical reality of war.

Word by Word

• रक्तचन्दनसंदिग्धौ: smeared with red sandal(-paste)
• रक्तचन्दनसंदिग्धौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्तचन्दनसंदिग्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• मणिहेमविभूषितौ: adorned with gems and gold
• मणिहेमविभूषितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणिहेमविभूषित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• red sandalwood (raktacandana)
• jewels (maṇi)
• gold (hema)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between outward magnificence (anointing, jewels, gold) and the inner gravity of dharma in war: martial honor and display cannot erase the moral weight and suffering inherent in battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a pair (dual form) of figures or objects—likely warriors or their equipment—depicted as anointed with red sandalwood and richly ornamented with jewels and gold, emphasizing their regal, heroic appearance within the ongoing combat scene.