Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 5

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda

Arrow-storm Engagement

Devanagari script

अनेकवर्णा विविधा ध्वजा: परमशोभना: । ते ध्वजा: संवृतास्तेषां पताकाभि: समन्ततः

Transliteration

anekavarṇā vividhā dhvajāḥ paramaśobhanāḥ | te dhvajāḥ saṃvṛtās teṣāṃ patākābhiḥ samantataḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“他们的旗帜色彩纷呈、式样各异，华丽得令人目眩。然而这些大旗四面八方都被周围的旌幡小旗所包围遮蔽，几乎难以分辨。”

Word by Word

• अनेकवर्णाः: many-colored
• अनेकवर्णाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेकवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ध्वजाः: banners/standards
• ध्वजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परमशोभनाः: exceedingly splendid
• परमशोभनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमशोभन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ध्वजाः: banners/standards
• ध्वजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संवृताः: covered/surrounded
• संवृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त), वृ (वृञ्) + सम्

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

• पताकाभिः: with pennons/streamers
• पताकाभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• समन्ततः: on all sides, all around
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः
• Form: true

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• ध्वज (battle standards/flags)
• पताका (pennants/streamers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how outward splendor can be partially hidden by surrounding coverings—an implicit reminder that what is truly present may not be fully visible due to layers of display, arrangement, or circumstance, especially amid the confusion of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is giving Dhṛtarāṣṭra a vivid battlefield description: the warriors’ magnificent, multicolored standards are present, but they are surrounded and visually obscured by numerous pennants fluttering all around.