Shloka 133
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda
Arrow-storm Engagement
नृत्यतीव रथोपस्थे श्वसनेन समीरिता । युद्धसस््थलमें कर्णके ध्वजपर सुवर्णमयी मालासे विभूषित पताका वायुसे आन्दोलित हो रथकी बैठकपर नृत्य-सा कर रही थी
nṛtyatīva rathopasthe śvasanena samīritā | yuddhasthale karṇake dhvajapara suvarṇamayī mālāse vibhūṣita patākā vāyunā āndolitā ho rathakī baiṭhakapara nṛtya-sā kara rahī thī ||
Sañjaya berkata: Ditiup angin yang menderu, panji pada tiang Karṇa—dihiasi kalungan emas—berayun di medan perang, seolah-olah menari di atas tempat duduk kereta perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights how external splendor (banner, gold garland) is animated by indifferent natural forces (wind) amid war, suggesting the fragility and theatricality of martial grandeur in a setting governed by fate, violence, and impermanence.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene around Karṇa: his chariot’s standard, decorated with a golden garland, is caught by the wind and sways so vividly that it appears to dance on the chariot-seat, intensifying the dramatic atmosphere of the combat setting.