Shloka 256
भीष्मसेनासंनिवेशः — Bhīṣma’s Mobilization, Omens, and the Kaurava Array
महान् दुर्योधनस्थासीन्नागो मणिमयो ध्वज: । कई लाख सैनिकोंकी सेनाको अपने साथ लेकर चलनेवाले दुर्योधनका मणिमय महान् ध्वज नागचिह्से विभूषित था
mahān duryodhana-sthāsīn nāgo maṇimayo dhvajaḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Di sisi Duryodhana berdiri sebuah panji besar bertatah permata, beremblem ular. Gambaran ini menonjolkan kemegahan diraja dan kebanggaan kepahlawanan pemimpin Kaurava ketika mara bersama bala tentera yang amat besar, memancarkan kuasa dan menimbulkan gentar di medan perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward grandeur—gem-studded standards and fearsome emblems—can symbolize worldly power and pride in war, yet such display is ethically neutral by itself; it becomes meaningful only in relation to the leader’s intentions and adherence (or lack) to dharma.
Sañjaya is describing the Kaurava forces and their leaders’ battle insignia. Here he notes Duryodhana’s prominent standard: a large, jewel-like banner marked with a serpent, emphasizing the imposing spectacle of the Kaurava advance.