Shloka 20
अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust
Devanagari script
चित्रोपचित्रश्षित्राक्ष क्षारुचित्र: शरासन:
Transliteration
citropacitraḥ śitrākṣa kṣārucitraḥ śarāsanaḥ
Translation
サञ्जयは語った。「彼は彩り豊かに、しかも壮麗に飾られ、眼差しはひときわ鋭く、そして弓—戦の武器そのもの—もまた、見事にして際立つ名品であった。」叙事詩の倫理的枠組みにおいてこの句は、戦の深い代償がなお露わになりゆく中でも、武の力量と外なる輝きが注目され語り継がれることを示している。
Word by Word
चित्रोपचित्रःvariegated and adorned (with variegation)
चित्रोपचित्रः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचित्रोपचित्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चित्राक्षःhaving wondrous/variegated eyes
चित्राक्षः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचित्राक्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
क्षारुचित्रःbright/variegated like alkali/whitish (i.e., pale-variegated)
क्षारुचित्रः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootक्षारुचित्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शरासनःbow (lit. arrow-seat)
शरासनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशरासन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaB
bow (śarāsana)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war narratives often foreground visible signs of power—ornamentation, striking appearance, and weaponry—reminding readers that external splendor can accompany, and sometimes mask, the grave ethical stakes of violence.
Sañjaya is describing a warrior’s appearance and equipment on the battlefield, emphasizing his distinctive eyes and the notable, decorated bow he bears.