Shloka 11
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
ध्वजा बहुविधाकारा व्यदृश्यन्त समुच्छिता: । स्वेषां चैव परेषां च द्युतिमन्त: सहस्रश:,अपने और शत्रुओंके अनेक प्रकारके ऊँचे-ऊँचे चमकीले ध्वज हजारोंकी संख्यामें दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे
dhvajā bahuvidhākārā vyadṛśyanta samucchitāḥ | sveṣāṃ caiva pareṣāṃ ca dyutimantaḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Panji-panji yang tinggi, pelbagai bentuk dan corak, kelihatan berkibar—di pihak kita dan pihak musuh—berkilau dalam ribuan. Pemandangan itu menandakan besarnya skala pertempuran yang bakal meletus, serta pameran kuasa dan identiti sebelum perang menjadi ujian moral.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war presents itself first as spectacle—symbols, banners, and displays of might—yet this outward grandeur precedes and contrasts with the inner ethical burden of dharma that the warriors must face.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that countless tall, radiant banners of many designs are visible on both armies, emphasizing the immense scale and readiness of the forces assembled at Kurukṣetra.