Shloka 98

Devanagari script

कर्णके ध्वजपर जो हाथीकी साँकल थी, वह कालपाशके समान जान पड़ती थी। वह लोहनिर्मित हाथीकी साँकल छोटी-छोटी घण्टियोंसे विभूषित थी। उसने अत्यन्त कुपित होकर उस वानरपर धावा किया ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

karṇake dhvajapara yā hastikī sāṅkal thī sā kālapāśa-samān jān paṛtī thī | sā loha-nirmita hastikī sāṅkal choṭī-choṭī ghaṇṭiyoṃ-se vibhūṣit thī | usne atyanta kupit hokar us vānara-par dhāvā kiyā ||

tayor ghoritare yuddhe dvairathe dyūta āhite | prakurvāte dhvajau yuddhaṃ pūrvaṃ pūrva-taraṃ tadā ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Trên cờ của Karṇa treo một sợi xích sắt như xích voi, trông tựa thòng lọng của Tử Thần, lại điểm vô số chuông nhỏ. Trong cơn thịnh nộ, nó lao vào con khỉ. Và trong cuộc đấu chiến xa giữa hai người—càng ghê rợn hơn, như ván xúc xắc đã được gieo—chính hai lá cờ đã mở màn giao tranh trước, như thể báo trước trận quyết đấu sắp tới.

Word by Word

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: common, genitive, dual

• घोरितरे: in the more terrible
• घोरितरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• युद्धे: battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• द्वेरथे: in the chariot-duel (between two chariots)
• द्वेरथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि-रथ
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• द्यृते: in the game of dice / stake-contest
• द्यृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यृत
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• आहिते: having been set/placed; when set
• आहिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-धा (आहित)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• प्रकुर्वाते: they two perform / they two set in motion
• प्रकुर्वाते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√कृ
• Form: present, 3rd, dual, ātmanepada

• ध्वजौ: the two banners/standards
• ध्वजौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• पूर्वम्: first; beforehand
• Type: Adverb
• Root: पूर्व

• पूर्वतरम्: even earlier; earlier still
• Type: Adverb
• Root: पूर्वतर

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Karna
• Hanuman (as the monkey on Arjuna’s banner, implied by vānara)
• Karna’s banner (dhvaja)
• Iron elephant-chain with bells (sāṅkalā with ghaṇṭikāḥ)
• Noose of Death/Time (kālapāśa)
• Chariot-duel (dvairatha yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage uses vivid symbolism to frame battle as a fateful, death-shadowed contest: the ‘noose of Death’ imagery and the dice-game metaphor suggest that once violent rivalry is set in motion, it quickly escalates beyond ordinary control, demanding vigilance about the ethical weight and consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes an ominous prelude to the Karna–Arjuna chariot duel: Karna’s banner-ornament (an iron elephant-chain with bells) seems to lunge at the monkey (Hanuman) on Arjuna’s standard, and the two standards are portrayed as beginning the fight even before the warriors fully engage.