Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 2

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda

Arrow-storm Engagement

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच ध्वजान्‌ बहुविधाकारान्‌ शृणु तेषां महात्मनाम्‌ | रूपतो वर्णतश्चैव नामतश्ष निबोध मे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca

dhvajān bahuvidhākārān śṛṇu teṣāṃ mahātmanām |

rūpato varṇataś caiva nāmataś ca nibodha me ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: “Tâu Đại vương, xin nghe thần tả những lá cờ muôn hình muôn vẻ của các dũng sĩ đại tâm ấy. Thần sẽ nói rõ hình dạng, màu sắc và danh xưng của chúng—để những dấu hiệu nhận biết trên chiến địa được phân minh.”

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ध्वजान्: banners/standards
• ध्वजान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• बहुविधाकारान्: of many kinds of forms
• बहुविधाकारान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुविधाकार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शृणु: hear/listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled (heroes)
• महात्मनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• रूपतः: as to form/appearance
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रूपतः

• वर्णतः: as to color
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर्णतः

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• नामतः: as to name
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतः

• निबोध: know/understand
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: of me / from me
• मे: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'O King')
• dhvaja (battle-banner/standard)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the role of clear signs and identifiers (banners with distinct forms, colors, and names) in the moral and practical order of war: warriors are recognized by their emblems, and narration preserves accountability and memory of deeds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya begins a descriptive catalogue for Dhṛtarāṣṭra, announcing that he will recount the various battle-banners of the great warriors—detailing their appearance, colors, and names.