Shloka 35

Devanagari script

त॑ हस्तिकक्षाप्रवरं च केतु सुवर्णमुक्तामणिवज्पृष्ठम्‌ । ज्ञानप्रकर्षोत्तमशिल्पियुक्तै: कृतं सुरूप॑ तपनीयचित्रम्‌

Transliteration

taṁ hastikakṣāpravaraṁ ca ketuṁ suvarṇamuktāmaṇivajrapṛṣṭham | jñānaprakarṣottamaśilpiyuktaiḥ kṛtaṁ surūpaṁ tapanīyacitram ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。象の腹帯の印を帯びたその優れた旗印は、背面に黄金・真珠・宝玉・金剛石が嵌め込まれていた。深い知と最上の技を備えた名匠たちが力を合わせて造り上げた、黄金をちりばめた見事な旗であった。

Word by Word

• {'taṁ': 'that (accusative singular

• referring to the banner)', 'hastikakṣā': 'elephant’s girth/strap

• also an emblem or mark associated with an elephant', 'pravaram': 'excellent, foremost', 'ketum': 'banner, standard', 'suvarṇa': 'gold', 'muktā': 'pearl', 'maṇi': 'gem, jewel', 'vajra': 'diamond

• also ‘vajra’ as a hard/adamantine substance', 'pṛṣṭham': 'back, surface (here: the face/surface of the banner)', 'jñāna': 'knowledge, expertise', 'prakarṣa': 'excellence, eminence, high degree', 'uttama': 'best, superior', 'śilpi': 'artisan, craftsman', 'yuktaiḥ': 'endowed with

• furnished with (instrumental plural)', 'kṛtam': 'made, fashioned', 'surūpam': 'well-formed, beautiful', 'tapanīya': 'refined gold', 'citram': 'variegated, ornamented, splendidly decorated'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• ketu (banner/standard)
• hastikakṣā (elephant-girth emblem/mark)
• gold (suvarṇa/tapanīya)
• pearls (muktā)
• gems (maṇi)
• diamonds (vajra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how outward magnificence—royal banners adorned with precious materials—functions as a symbol of authority and martial confidence, yet it also implicitly contrasts material display with the deeper ethical stakes of the war, where true worth is tested by conduct (dharma) rather than ornament.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya is describing an outstanding war-banner (ketu/dhvaja), distinguished by an elephant-related emblem and lavish inlays of gold, pearls, gems, and diamonds, emphasizing the grandeur and preparedness of the forces in the Karna Parva battle setting.