Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ततो रथेनाम्बुदवृन्दनादिना शरन्नभोमध्यदिवाकरार्चिषा । पताकिना भीमनिनादकेतुना हिमेन्दुशड्खस्फटिकावभासिना,तदनन्तर नरश्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन समरांगणमें रथपर आरूढ़ हो अग्नि और सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी एक ही वाहनपर बैठे हुए भगवान्‌ विष्णु और इन्द्रके सदूश भयरहित हो विशेष शोभा पाने लगे। वे जिस रथसे यात्रा करते थे, उससे मेघसमूहोंकी गर्जनाके समान गम्भीर ध्वनि होती थी, वह रथ शरत्‌-कालके मध्याह्नकालीन सूर्यके समान तेजसे उद्दीप्त हो रहा था, उसपर पताका फहराती थी और उसकी ध्वजापर भयानक शब्द करनेवाला वानर बैठा था। उसकी कान्ति हिम, चन्द्रमा, शंख और स्फटिकमणिके समान सुन्दर थी। वह रथ वेगमें अपना सानी नहीं रखता था और देवराज इन्द्रके रथके समान तीव्रगामी था। उसपर बैठे हुए दोनों नरश्रेष्ठ देवराज इन्द्रके समान शक्तिशाली और पुरुषार्थी थे तथा सुवर्ण, मुक्ता, मणि, हीरे और मूँगेके बने हुए आभूषण उनके श्रीअंगोंकी शोभा बढ़ाते थे

Transliteration

tato rathenāmbudavṛndanādinā śarannabhomadhyadivākarārciṣā | patākinā bhīmaninādaketunā himendushaṅkhasphaṭikāvabhāsinā ||

Translation

Then, mounted on their chariot, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna shone forth with a splendor that inspired fearlessness—like Viṣṇu and Indra seated together on a single vehicle. The chariot they rode resounded with a deep roar like a mass of thunderclouds; it blazed like the midday sun in the middle of autumn. A banner streamed from it, and upon its standard was the monkey-emblem that gave forth a dreadful cry. Its radiance was pure and beautiful like snow, the moon, a conch, and crystal. In this martial setting, the verse heightens the ethical mood of the battle: righteous resolve and divine support are portrayed as inner fearlessness made visible through auspicious signs and overwhelming brilliance.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

रथेनby/with the chariot

अम्बुद-वृन्द-नादिनाhaving the sound of a mass of clouds

शरत्-नभो-मध्य-दिवाकर-अर्चिषाwith radiance like the midday sun in autumn sky

पताकिनाbannered, having a flag

भीम-निनाद-केतुनाwith a banner/standard of dreadful roar

हिम-इन्दु-शङ्ख-स्फटिक-अवभासिनाshining like snow, moon, conch, and crystal

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ratha (chariot)

Patākā (banner/flag)

Ketu/Dhvaja (standard/emblem)

Kapidhvaja (monkey-emblem on Arjuna’s standard, implied by ‘bhīmanināda-ketu’)

Autumn midday sun (śarannabho-madhya-divākara)

Cloud-mass thunder (ambuda-vṛnda-nāda)

Snow (hima)

Moon (indu)

Conch (śaṅkha)

Crystal (sphaṭika)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys that inner fearlessness and righteous resolve (often associated with dharmic purpose) manifest outwardly as clarity, brilliance, and auspicious power. The chariot’s thunder-like sound and sun-like radiance symbolize moral confidence and the momentum of a cause supported by higher order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya describes the arrival/appearance of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna on their chariot in the battlefield. The chariot is portrayed as roaring like thunderclouds, blazing like the autumn midday sun, bearing a banner and a fearsome-sounding emblem (the monkey-standard), and shining with a purity likened to snow, moon, conch, and crystal.