Shloka 29
अध्याय १४८ — कर्णप्रभावः, धृष्टद्युम्नस्य विरथता, तथा घटोत्कच-आह्वानम्
Chapter 148: Karṇa’s Pressure, Dhṛṣṭadyumna Unhorsed, and the Summoning of Ghaṭotkaca
विचित्रोष्णीषमुकुटै: केयूराड्रदकुण्डलै:,विरराज भृशं चित्रा मही नववधूरिव । विचित्र पगड़ी, मुकुट, केयूर, अंगद, कुण्डल, स्वर्णजटित कवच, हाथी-घोड़ोंके आभूषण तथा सैकड़ों किरीटोंसे यत्र-तत्र आच्छादित हुई वह युद्धभूमि नववधूके समान बम. शोभासे सुशोभित हो रही थी
sañjaya uvāca | vicitroṣṇīṣa-mukuṭaiḥ keyūrāṅgada-kuṇḍalaiḥ virarāja bhṛśaṃ citrā mahī navavadhūr iva |
Sañjaya said: Adorned everywhere with variegated turbans and crowns, with armlets, bracelets, and earrings, the many-hued earth—the battlefield—shone exceedingly, like a newly-wedded bride. The verse heightens the tragic irony of war: instruments and ornaments of power create a deceptive beauty that veils the violence and moral cost beneath.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral irony of war: outward splendor—crowns, ornaments, and martial finery—can make a scene appear beautiful, yet that beauty is superficial and masks suffering. It invites discernment (viveka) between appearance and ethical reality.
Sañjaya is vividly describing the battlefield during the Droṇa Parva. The ground is strewn and covered with ornate headgear and jewelry, making the scene look dazzling—likened poetically to a newly-wedded bride—despite being a site of slaughter.