Shloka 15
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
त॑ तु पाटलिपुष्पाणां समवर्णा हयोत्तमा:
taṁ tu pāṭalipuṣpāṇāṁ samavarṇā hayottamāḥ
Sañjaya berkata: Kuda-kuda unggul itu berwarna sama seperti bunga pāṭali.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not state a direct moral injunction; instead it uses refined natural imagery to frame martial power. By likening war-horses to pāṭali blossoms, the epic suggests how beauty and auspicious symbolism can coexist with—and even intensify—the gravity of dharmic conflict.
Sañjaya is describing a chariot’s horse-team (or a notable set of horses) in the Drona Parva battle narrative, emphasizing their striking, uniform color—like pāṭali flowers—thereby highlighting the grandeur and distinctiveness of the warrior’s equipment in the midst of combat.