Shloka 23
Droṇa-pātana-paripṛcchā (Inquiry into the Fall of Droṇa) | द्रोणपातनपरिपृच्छा
पदातिषु रथाश्वेषु वारणेषु च सर्वश: । तस्य विद्युदिवा भ्रेषु चरन् केतुरदृश्यत,पैदल सैनिकों, रथियों, घुड़सवारों तथा हाथीसवारोंमें सब ओर विचरता हुआ उनका ध्वज बादलोंमें विद्युत्-सा दृष्टिगोचर हो रहा था
padātiṣu rathāśveṣu vāraṇeṣu ca sarvaśaḥ | tasya vidyud ivābhreṣu caran ketur adṛśyata ||
サञ्जयは語った。歩兵、戦車兵、騎兵、象騎兵のただ中——戦場の至るところで——彼の旗印が行き来し、雲間の稲妻のように閃いて見えた。この比喩は、一人の武人の進撃がもつ恐るべき勢いを語る。頭上の紋章は、戦の混沌の中で、支配と迫り来る破滅のしるしとなるのである。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the banner as a moral-symbolic marker: in war, visible signs of a warrior’s advance (his standard) can embody the spread of fear and the inevitability of violence. It highlights how power and reputation operate as ‘omens’ on the battlefield, reminding readers that martial glory is inseparable from widespread suffering.
Sañjaya describes a warrior moving through all divisions of the army—infantry, chariots, cavalry, and elephants—so swiftly and forcefully that his banner is repeatedly seen everywhere, flashing like lightning in clouds, indicating rapid movement and dominance amid the dust and tumult of battle.