Shloka 64

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

चित्रायुधं चित्रमाल्यं चित्रवर्मायुधध्वजम्‌ । ऊहु: किंशुकपुष्पाणां समवर्णा हयोत्तमा:,जिनके माला, कवच, अस्त्र-शस्त्र और ध्वज सब कुछ विचित्र हैं, उन राजा चित्रायुधको- पलाशके फूलोंके समान लाल रंगवाले उत्तम घोड़े संग्राममें ले गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

citrāyudhaṃ citramālyaṃ citravarmāyudhadhvajam |

ūhuḥ kiṃśukapuṣpāṇāṃ samavarṇā hayottamāḥ ||

Translation

ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਹਾਰ, ਕਵਚ, ਅਸਤ੍ਰ-ਸ਼ਸਤ੍ਰ ਅਤੇ ਧੁੱਜ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਅਦਭੁਤ ਤੇ ਵਿਲੱਖਣ ਸਨ, ਉਸ ਰਾਜਾ ਚਿਤ੍ਰਾਯੁਧ ਨੂੰ—ਕਿੰਸ਼ੁਕ (ਪਲਾਸ਼) ਦੇ ਫੁੱਲਾਂ ਵਰਗੇ ਲਾਲ, ਇਕੋ ਰੰਗ ਦੇ ਉੱਤਮ ਘੋੜੇ ਜੰਗ ਦੇ ਮੈਦਾਨ ਵੱਲ ਲੈ ਗਏ।

Word by Word

• चित्रायुधम्: Chitrayudha (the king named ‘Variegated-weapon’)
• चित्रायुधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रायुध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चित्रमाल्यम्: having a variegated garland
• चित्रमाल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रमाल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चित्रवर्म: variegated armor
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रवर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• आयुध: weapon
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ध्वजम्: banner/standard
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऊहुः: they carried/bore
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• किंशुकपुष्पाणाम्: of kiṃśuka (palāśa) flowers
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंशुकपुष्प
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• समवर्णाः: of the same color (as)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हयोत्तमाः: excellent horses
• हयोत्तमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Citrāyudha
• kiṃśuka (palāśa) blossoms
• horses
• garland (mālya)
• armor (varman)
• weapons (āyudha)
• banner/standard (dhvaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between outward martial splendor (ornate garlands, armor, weapons, banners) and the sobering reality of war: aesthetic grandeur accompanies actions that carry heavy moral and karmic weight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes King Citrāyudha being taken/led into the battlefield, mounted or conveyed with excellent horses uniformly red like palāśa blossoms, emphasizing his striking appearance as he enters the combat scene.