Mahabharata 6.59.331 — Bhishma Parva, Adhyaya 59, Shloka 331
भीमसेनस्य गदायुद्ध-प्रभावः
The Battlefield Impact of Bhīmasena’s Mace Combat
ध्वजानां चर्मणां चैव व्यजनानां च सर्वश: । छत्राणां हेमदण्डानां तोमराणां च भारत
dhvajānāṁ carmaṇāṁ caiva vyajanānāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ | chatrāṇāṁ hemadaṇḍānāṁ tomarāṇāṁ ca bhārata
हे भारत! सर्वत्र ध्वज, चर्मसामग्री, नानाविध व्यजने, सुवर्णदंडयुक्त छत्रे आणि तोमर यांचीही प्रचुरता होती।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights the outward splendor and martial preparedness of the armies—royal emblems (parasols, fans, banners) alongside weapons—implicitly reminding that war involves both power-display and lethal force, and that such grandeur can mask the grave ethical weight of battle.
Sañjaya continues reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the scene of the Kurukṣetra battlefield, emphasizing the abundance of banners, leather equipment, ceremonial fans, golden-handled parasols, and javelins visible everywhere—conveying the scale, organization, and royal presence within the forces.
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