Shloka 98
कर्णके ध्वजपर जो हाथीकी साँकल थी, वह कालपाशके समान जान पड़ती थी। वह लोहनिर्मित हाथीकी साँकल छोटी-छोटी घण्टियोंसे विभूषित थी। उसने अत्यन्त कुपित होकर उस वानरपर धावा किया ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
karṇake dhvajapara yā hastikī sāṅkal thī sā kālapāśa-samān jān paṛtī thī | sā loha-nirmita hastikī sāṅkal choṭī-choṭī ghaṇṭiyoṃ-se vibhūṣit thī | usne atyanta kupit hokar us vānara-par dhāvā kiyā ||
tayor ghoritare yuddhe dvairathe dyūta āhite | prakurvāte dhvajau yuddhaṃ pūrvaṃ pūrva-taraṃ tadā ||
Sañjaya berkata: Pada panji Karṇa tergantung rantai besi seperti rantai gajah, tampak bagaikan jerat Maut, dihiasi banyak loceng kecil. Dengan amarah yang menyala, ia meluru menyerang kera itu. Dan dalam pertarungan kereta lawan kereta yang lebih mengerikan—seperti permainan dadu yang kini telah digerakkan—panji-panji mereka sendiri memulakan pertempuran terlebih dahulu, seolah-olah mendahului perang yang bakal tiba.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage uses vivid symbolism to frame battle as a fateful, death-shadowed contest: the ‘noose of Death’ imagery and the dice-game metaphor suggest that once violent rivalry is set in motion, it quickly escalates beyond ordinary control, demanding vigilance about the ethical weight and consequences of war.
Sanjaya describes an ominous prelude to the Karna–Arjuna chariot duel: Karna’s banner-ornament (an iron elephant-chain with bells) seems to lunge at the monkey (Hanuman) on Arjuna’s standard, and the two standards are portrayed as beginning the fight even before the warriors fully engage.