Shloka 15

भीष्मसेनासंनिवेशः — Bhīṣma’s Mobilization, Omens, and the Kaurava Array

Devanagari script

श्वेतैश्छत्रे: पताकाभिर्ध्वजवारणवाजिभि: । तान्यनीकानि शोभन्ते रथैरथ पदातिभि:,श्लेत छत्रों, पताकाओं, ध्वजों, हाथियों, घोड़ों, रथों और पैदल सैनिकोंसे उन समस्त सेनाओंकी बड़ी शोभा हो रही थी

Transliteration

śvetaiś chatraiḥ patākābhir dhvajavāraṇavājibhiḥ | tāny anīkāni śobhante rathair atha padātibhiḥ ||

Translation

سفید چھتریوں، پتاکاؤں اور جھنڈوں سے آراستہ، اور ہاتھیوں، گھوڑوں، رتھوں اور پیادہ سپاہیوں سے بھرپور وہ تمام لشکری صفیں نہایت درخشاں نظر آ رہی تھیں۔

Word by Word

श्वेतैःwith white (ones)

छत्रैःwith umbrellas

पताकाभिःwith banners

ध्वजflags/standards

वारणelephants

वाजिभिःwith horses

तानिthose

अनीकानिarmies/divisions

शोभन्तेshine/are splendid

रथैःwith chariots

अथand/then

पदातिभिःwith foot-soldiers/infantry

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

white parasols (chatra)

banners (patākā)

standards/flags (dhvaja)

elephants (vāraṇa)

horses (vāji)

chariots (ratha)

infantry (padāti)

battle-formations/armies (anīka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the contrast between outward grandeur (royal emblems, well-equipped forces) and the inner ethical weight of war; splendor does not resolve the dharmic consequences of violence, but rather intensifies the seriousness of the impending conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the assembled divisions of the armies look magnificent, marked by white parasols, banners and standards, and crowded with elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry—setting the scene on the eve of battle.