Mahabharata 7.177.10 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 177, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कुण्डले बालसूर्याभे मालां हेममयीं शुभाम्‌

Transliteration

kuṇḍale bālasūryābhe mālāṃ hemamayīṃ śubhām

Translation

അവന്റെ കുണ്ഡലങ്ങൾ ബാലസൂര്യനെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തമായിരുന്നു; ശുഭവും സുന്ദരവുമായ സ്വർണമയ മാലയും അവൻ ധരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कुण्डले: a pair of earrings
• कुण्डले: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• बालसूर्याभे: having the luster of the rising (young) sun
• बालसूर्याभे: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बालसूर्याभ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• मालाम्: garland
• मालाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• हेममयीम्: made of gold
• हेममयीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेममय
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शुभाम्: auspicious, beautiful
• शुभाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• kuṇḍala (earrings)
• hema-mayī mālā (golden garland)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how outward magnificence—radiant ornaments and auspicious adornments—can coexist with the harsh reality of war. It invites reflection on the contrast between appearance and the ethical gravity of actions undertaken on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a figure’s striking appearance: sun-bright earrings and a beautiful golden garland. This is part of the broader battlefield narration in Droṇa Parva, where such descriptive details heighten the heroic and dramatic atmosphere.