Shloka 106
कर्णवधार्थं धनञ्जयस्य प्रतिज्ञा — Arjuna’s resolve for Karṇa’s defeat
नानापुष्पसमाकीर्ण यथा चैत्ररथं वनम् । नरेश्वर! फिर वहाँ निश्वेष्ट खड़ी हुई आपकी वह सेना भाँति-भाँतिके पुष्पोंसे भरे हुए चैत्ररथ नामक वनके समान शोभा पाने लगी
nānāpuṣpasamākīrṇaṃ yathā caitrarathaṃ vanam | nareśvara! tataḥ tatra niṣceṣṭā sthitā tava sā senā bhānti-bhānti-puṣpair bharitaṃ caitrarathanāmakaṃ vanam iva śobhāṃ prāpa |
サンジャヤは言った。「王よ、そのとき御軍はそこに身じろぎもせず立ち尽くし、春のチャイトララタ（Caitraratha）の林のように、さまざまな花が散り敷いたかのごとく見えた。この譬えが示すのは戦の痛ましい逆説である。美に見えるものは、疲れ果て、あるいは倒れた戦士たちの静止にほかならず、栄光と破滅が並び立つ一瞬であった。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension of war: outward grandeur can mask inner devastation. By comparing a motionless army to a flower-strewn celestial grove, it suggests how quickly martial splendor turns into stillness—inviting reflection on impermanence and the cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the king’s army has become still on the battlefield. In that moment, its appearance—spread out and varied—resembles the celebrated Caitraratha forest filled with many flowers, a poetic image applied to a grim wartime scene.