Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 203

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda

Arrow-storm Engagement

Devanagari script

ध्वजाग्रेडलोहितार्काभो हेमजालपरिष्कृत: । सिन्धुराज जयद्रथकी ध्वजाके अग्रभागमें उज्ज्वल सूर्यके समान श्वेत कान्तिमान्‌ और सोनेकी जालीसे विभूषित चाँदीका बना हुआ वराहचिह्न अत्यन्त सुशोभित हो रहा था

Transliteration

dhvajāgreḍalohitārkābho hemajālapariṣkṛtaḥ | sindhurāja-jayadrathakī dhvajāke agrabhāgame ujjvala-sūrya-samānaḥ śveta-kāntimān ca suvarṇa-jālena vibhūṣitaḥ cāndī-kṛto varāha-cihnaḥ atyantaṃ suśobhitaḥ babhūva |

Translation

Sañjaya miêu tả: Trên chóp ngọn cờ của vua xứ Sindhu, Jayadratha, rực sáng một phù hiệu hình heo rừng (Varāha) bằng bạc; ánh trắng chói lòa như mặt trời, lại còn được điểm trang bằng lưới vàng, khiến nó nổi bật lộng lẫy vô cùng.

Word by Word

• ध्वजाग्रे: on the top of the flagstaff
• ध्वजाग्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वजाग्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• लोहितार्काभः: having the appearance of a red sun
• लोहितार्काभः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोहितार्काभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हेमजालपरिष्कृतः: adorned/embellished with a net of gold
• हेमजालपरिष्कृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेमजालपरिष्कृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Jayadratha
• Sindhu (kingdom)
• dhvaja (banner/standard)
• varāha-cihna (boar emblem)
• gold lattice (hema-jāla)
• silver (cāndī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how outward splendour—royal emblems and dazzling insignia—can mask or accompany ethically fraught actions in war; it invites reflection on the contrast between appearance (glory) and moral reality (dharma in conflict).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing Jayadratha’s battle standard: a silver boar emblem at the banner’s top, shining with sunlike brilliance and decorated with a golden lattice, emphasizing Jayadratha’s prominence on the battlefield.