Mahabharata 7.80.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 80, Shloka 4
ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam
Description of War Standards
दर्शयन्तो$न्तिके चक्रुर्नैंशं त्रैयम्बक॑ बलिम् । संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! तदनन्तर कमलनयन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णने अर्जुनके अनुपम भवनमें प्रवेश करके जलका स्पर्श किया और शुभ लक्षणोंसे युक्त वेदीपर वैदूर्यमणिके सदृश कुशोंकी सुन्दर शय्या बिछायी। तत्पश्चात् विधिपूर्वक परम मंगलकारी अक्षत
darśayanto ’ntike cakrur naiśaṁ traiyambakaṁ balim |
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—രാജാവേ! അവർ അടുത്തുതന്നെ എല്ലാവർക്കും കാണത്തക്കവിധം ത്ര്യമ്പകനായ (ശിവൻ) വേണ്ടി രാത്രികാല ബലി അർപ്പിച്ചു.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid violent conflict, the epic repeatedly frames right conduct as requiring inner restraint and reverence for cosmic order. The nocturnal offering to Śiva (Tryambaka) signals a search for auspicious alignment and moral steadiness, not mere tactical advantage.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a night-time ritual offering (bali) to Śiva was performed nearby and openly. It functions as a preparatory rite within the larger war narrative, marking a transition into consequential action.
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