Shloka 32
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
चूडामणीन् नरेन्द्राणां विचित्रा: काउ्चनस्रज: । छत्राणि चापविद्धानि चामरव्यजनानि च,“नरपतियोंके मणिमय मुकुट, विचित्र स्वर्णमय हार, छत्र, चँवर और व्यजन फेंके पड़े हैं
cūḍāmaṇīn narendrāṇāṃ vicitrāḥ kāñcanasrajaḥ | chatrāṇi cāpaviddhāni cāmaravyajanāni ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Mahkota bertatah permata para raja, kalungan emas yang indah, payung kebesaran, serta kipas ekor yak (cāmara) dan kipas tangan—semuanya terbuang. Medan perang telah merendahkan lambang kedaulatan dan kehormatan menjadi barang yang dicampak, menyingkap harga moral peperangan dan rapuhnya kuasa dunia.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly sovereignty: crowns, garlands, and royal insignia—symbols of authority and prestige—become meaningless when life is lost. It implicitly critiques attachment to power and highlights the ethical gravity and human cost of war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the aftermath on the battlefield: the royal emblems of fallen or routed kings—diadems, golden garlands, parasols, and fans—are seen lying discarded, signaling defeat, death, and the collapse of royal splendor amid combat.