Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 28
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda
Arrow-storm Engagement
नवैते तव वाहिन्यामुच्छिता: परमध्वजा:
navaite tava vāhinyām ucchitāḥ paramadhvajāḥ
Disse Sañjaya: “Esses principais porta-estandartes foram agora abatidos dentro do teu exército.” O relato ressalta o peso moral sombrio da guerra: nem mesmo os guerreiros mais eminentes, marcados por altos estandartes e renome, são poupados quando o conflito movido pelo adharma atinge o auge de sua ferocidade.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of worldly power and prestige in war: even the ‘foremost standard-bearers’ fall. Ethically, it points to the heavy cost of violent conflict and the sobering accountability leaders bear when armies are driven into destruction.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that nine eminent warriors—described as ‘paramadhvajāḥ’—have been slain within the Kaurava forces, emphasizing the scale and seriousness of the losses.