Shloka 31
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
विचित्रमणिचित्रांश्व जातरूपपरिष्कृतान् । अश्वास्तरपरिस्तोमान् राड़कवान् पतितान् भुवि
vicitramaṇicitrāṃśva jātārūpapariṣkṛtān | aśvāstaraparistomān rāḍakāvān patitān bhuvi ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Di atas tanah terhampar banyak kain pelana—hamparan yang sepatutnya dibentang di belakang kuda—ditenun dengan permata beraneka warna dan dihiasi benang emas, diperbuat daripada kulit rusa ruru. Maka medan perang menampakkan runtuhnya kemegahan diraja, apabila perhiasan mahal dan keselesaan turut rebah bersama tuannya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of worldly magnificence: even the most luxurious royal accoutrements—gold-embroidered, gem-studded coverings—end up scattered on the ground in war, reminding the listener that pride in wealth and display is unstable before death and violence.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, noting that many ornate saddle-cloths and horse-coverings, made of fine deer-hide and decorated with gems and gold, are lying fallen on the earth—evidence of the chaos and losses among warriors and their mounts.