Shloka 3
Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation
सिंहलाड्गूलमाकाशे ज्वलन्तमिव पर्वतम् | असज्जमान वृक्षेषु धूमकेतुमिवोत्थितम्
sañjaya uvāca | siṁhalāḍgūlam ākāśe jvalantam iva parvatam | asajjamānaṁ vṛkṣeṣu dhūmaketum ivotthitam, mahārāja |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, panji Arjuna—berhias lambang kera dan berekor seperti ekor singa—tampak di angkasa laksana gunung yang menyala. Ia bergerak tanpa tersangkut pada pepohon, dan kelihatan terbit seperti komet. Demikianlah pada saat itu kami menyaksikan standar Arjuna, pemegang Gāṇḍīva, yang ajaib, beraneka warna, dan bersifat ilahi.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how righteous power is portrayed through auspicious, divinely charged symbols: Arjuna’s standard, marked by the monkey emblem (Hanumān), signifies protection, steadfastness, and moral confidence in a dharma-aligned battle.
Sañjaya narrates to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra the striking appearance of Arjuna’s banner on the battlefield—likening it to a blazing mountain and a rising comet—emphasizing its divine, many-colored, wondrous presence and its monkey emblem.