Shloka 15
भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः
Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal
ज्वलन्तं सूर्यसंकाशं नागं मणिमयं शुभम् | ध्वजं कुरुपतेश्छिन्नं ददृशु: सर्वपार्थिवा:,कुरुराज दुर्योधनके उस सूर्यके समान प्रज्वलित नागचिह्लित मणिमय सुन्दर ध्वजको कटकर गिरते समय समस्त राजाओंने देखा
jvalantaṃ sūryasaṃkāśaṃ nāgaṃ maṇimayaṃ śubham | dhvajaṃ kurupateś chinnaṃ dadṛśuḥ sarvapārthivāḥ ||
三阇耶说道：诸王皆见俱卢之主的旗幡——吉祥、镶嵌宝珠、绘有蛇之徽记——如日炽燃；当其被斩断而坠落之时，众人尽皆目睹。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the fall of a radiant royal banner as a moral symbol: worldly authority and pride can be abruptly diminished in war, especially when conflict is driven by unrighteousness; external splendor is unstable compared to dharma.
Sañjaya reports that all the assembled kings witness the Kuru leader’s splendid, serpent-marked, gem-adorned banner—shining like the sun—being cut down, a public sign of setback and shaken prestige on the battlefield.