Shloka 16
कर्णस्य सेनापत्यं, माकरव्यूहः, पाण्डवानामर्धचन्द्रव्यूहः
Karna’s Command; Mākara Formation; Pandava Crescent Counter-Array
स राजमध्ये पुरुषप्रवीरो रराज जाम्बूनदचित्रवर्मा । पद्मप्रभो वह्विरिवाल्पधूमो मेघान्तरे सूर्य इव प्रकाश:,पुरुषोंमें प्रधान वीर और कमलके समान कान्तिमान् दुर्योधन सोनेका बना हुआ विचित्र कवच धारण करके राजाओंके समुदायमें अल्प धूमवाली अग्नि एवं बादलोंके बीचमें सूर्यके समान प्रकाशित हो रहा है
sa rājamadhye puruṣapravīro rarāja jāmbūnadacitravarmā | padmaprabho vahnir ivālpadhūmo meghāntare sūrya iva prakāśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the midst of the assembled kings, that foremost of men—Duryodhana—shone resplendent. Wearing a wondrous cuirass of Jāmbūnada-gold and radiant like a lotus, he blazed like a fire with little smoke, and like the sun breaking through clouds—conspicuous, commanding, and intent on warlike display.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward brilliance—armor, radiance, and public display—can project power and inspire followers, yet it also implicitly points to the ethical tension of war: splendor and heroism do not by themselves establish dharma; they can equally serve pride and destructive resolve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana stands among the gathered kings, wearing a striking golden cuirass, and appears exceptionally radiant—likened to a clear flame and to the sun emerging through clouds—signaling his prominence and martial readiness in the unfolding battle context.