Shloka 15

अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः

Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire

Devanagari script

तापनीया सुरुचिरा ध्वजयष्टिरनुत्तमा । तस्यां तु वानरो दिव्य: सिंहशार्दूलकेतन:,उस रथका ध्वजदण्ड बड़ा सुन्दर और सुवर्णमय था। उसके ऊपर सिंह और व्याप्रके समान भयंकर आकृतिवाला दिव्य वानर बैठा था

Transliteration

tāpanīyā surucirā dhvajayaṣṭir anuttamā | tasyāṃ tu vānaro divyaḥ siṃhaśārdūlaketanaḥ ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ସେ ରଥର ଧ୍ୱଜଦଣ୍ଡ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସୁନ୍ଦର, ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣମୟ ଓ ଅନୁପମ ଥିଲା। ତାହାର ଉପରେ ସିଂହ ଓ ବ୍ୟାଘ୍ର ସଦୃଶ ଭୟଙ୍କର କେତନଧାରୀ ଏକ ଦିବ୍ୟ ବାନର ଅଧିଷ୍ଠିତ ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

तापनीयाmade of refined gold

सुरुचिराvery beautiful

ध्वजयष्टिःflagstaff (banner-pole)

अनुत्तमाunsurpassed, excellent

तस्याम्on it / in it (on that flagstaff)

तुbut, indeed

वानरःmonkey

दिव्यःdivine, celestial

सिंहशार्दूलकेतनःhaving a lion-and-tiger emblem/banner

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

dhvajayaṣṭi (flagstaff)

dhvaja (banner/standard)

divya vānara (divine monkey emblem)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Epic imagery uses royal emblems to express inner qualities: refined gold suggests nobility and excellence, while the fierce lion-tiger symbolism projects courage and deterrence—ethical strength in protecting one’s side and upholding kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a chariot’s banner: an exceptionally beautiful golden flagstaff, on which a divine monkey emblem is set, characterized as terrifying like a lion and tiger—signaling power and martial prestige.