Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 4
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda
Arrow-storm Engagement
Devanagari script
काज्चना: काञज्चनापीडा: काञ्चनस्रगलंकृता: । काज्चनानीव शुड्राणि काञ्चनस्य महागिरे:
Transliteration
sañjaya uvāca | kāñcanāḥ kāñcanapīḍāḥ kāñcanasragalaṅkṛtāḥ | kāñcanānīva śṛṅgāṇi kāñcanasya mahāgireḥ ||
Translation
三阇耶说道：“那些旗帜皆为黄金所制，顶端亦以金饰为冠，又以金色花鬘装点。它们光耀如巍峨大山的金色峰巅——宛如大金山须弥的灿然绝顶。”
Word by Word
काञ्चनाःgolden
काञ्चनाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootकाञ्चन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
काञ्चन-पीडाःhaving golden bases/footings (pedestals)
काञ्चन-पीडाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकाञ्चन-पीडा
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
काञ्चन-स्रक्-अलंकृताःadorned with golden garlands
काञ्चन-स्रक्-अलंकृताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootकाञ्चन-स्रक्-अलंकृत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
काञ्चनानिgolden (things)
काञ्चनानि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootकाञ्चन
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
इवlike, as if
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
शृङ्गाणिpeaks, summits
शृङ्गाणि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशृङ्ग
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
काञ्चनस्यof gold / of the golden (mountain)
काञ्चनस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकाञ्चन
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
महागिरेःof the great mountain
महागिरेः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमहागिरि
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaG
golden standards/flags (dhvajāḥ implied)M
Mount Sumeru (implied by the Hindi gloss)A
a great golden mountain (mahāgiri)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
The verse highlights how outward grandeur—golden standards and ornaments—can magnify the spectacle of war; it implicitly contrasts martial splendor with the grave human cost that such display often masks.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield array, focusing on the brilliant golden standards/crests and garlands that make the scene gleam like the golden peaks of a great mountain (evoking Sumeru).