Shloka 18
चापानि रुक््माड्रदभूषणानि शराश्न कार्तस्वरचित्रपुड्खा: । ऋष्ट्यश्व॒ पीता विमला विकोशा: प्रासाश्ष॒ दण्डै: कनकावभासै:
cāpāni rukmāḍr̥ḍabhūṣaṇāni śarāś ca kārtasvaracitra-puṅkhāḥ | ṛṣṭayaś ca pītā vimalā vikōśāḥ prāsāś ca daṇḍaiḥ kanakāvabhāsaiḥ ||
Śalya said: “Bows adorned with firm golden ornaments, and arrows whose bright, variegated fletchings were of refined gold; spears, yellow-hued, spotless, and drawn from their sheaths; and lances with shafts gleaming like gold—such weapons were seen ready for use.” In this martial catalogue, the poem underscores the deliberate preparation for battle: splendor and craftsmanship heighten the gravity of violence, reminding the listener that war is not mere impulse but an organized, ethically weighty undertaking with consequences for all.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war is approached with deliberate readiness and grandeur; the ethical weight lies in recognizing that such splendid preparation serves destructive ends, urging reflection on responsibility and consequences in kṣatriya action.
Śalya describes the array of weapons—bows, arrows, spears, and lances—glittering with gold-like brilliance and drawn ready, conveying the battlefield’s tense preparation and the imminent clash.