Shloka 29
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
त्वदीयानां परेषां च रथेषु विपुलान् ध्वजान् । अभिभूयार्जुनस्यैको रथे तस्थौ महाकपि:
tvadīyānāṁ pareṣāṁ ca ratheṣu vipulān dhvajān | abhibhūyārjunasyaiko rathe tasthau mahākapiḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, meskipun banyak panji besar berkibar di atas kereta perang pihak tuanku dan pihak musuh, mengatasi semuanya, hanya satu panji—bertanda kera agung—berkibar tinggi di atas kereta Arjuna, seolah-olah mengisytiharkan tujuan yang lebih luhur dan kemenangan yang ditakdirkan bagi kebenaran.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Outer power and numbers are not decisive; a righteous cause supported by divine strength is portrayed as surpassing mere display. The single banner with the great monkey symbolizes moral and spiritual superiority amid the spectacle of war.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra: many chariots on both sides bear large standards, yet Arjuna’s chariot is distinguished by one extraordinary banner marked by the mighty monkey (Hanumān), which eclipses the rest.