Shloka 14
भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः
Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal
रथाच्च स ध्वज: श्रीमान् नानारत्नविभूषितात् | पपात सहसा भूमौ विद्युज्जलधरादिव,दुर्योधनके नाना रत्नविभूषित रथसे वह शोभाशाली ध्वज सहसा कटकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा, मानो मेघोंकी घटासे भूमिपर बिजली गिरी हो
rathāc ca sa dhvajaḥ śrīmān nānāratnavibhūṣitāt | papāta sahasā bhūmau vidyuj jaladharād iva ||
नाना रत्नांनी विभूषित दुर्योधनाच्या रथावरचा तो शोभायमान ध्वज सहसा तुटून भूमीवर कोसळला—जणू मेघसमूहातून वीज जमिनीवर पडावी तसा.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
External magnificence—jewels, royal insignia, and martial display—does not guarantee stability or success; in war and in life, signs of decline can appear suddenly, reminding one of impermanence and the limits of mere power without dharmic grounding.
Sañjaya describes an ominous battlefield moment: the splendid banner mounted on a jewel-adorned chariot suddenly falls to the ground, compared to lightning falling from a cloud—an image suggesting shock, foreboding, and a turning of fortune.