Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 7

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda

Arrow-storm Engagement

Devanagari script

नृत्यमाना व्यदृश्यन्त रज़्मध्ये विलासिका: । उनकी वे पताकाएँ वायुसे संचालित हो रंगमंचपर नृत्य करनेवाली विलासिनियोंके समान दिखायी देती थीं ।। इन्द्रायुधसवर्णाभा: पताका भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

nṛtyamānā vyadṛśyanta rajo-madhye vilāsikāḥ |

indrāyudha-savarṇābhāḥ patākā bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：在尘土飞扬之中，那些旗帜宛如舞台上的娉婷舞姬，随风而动，翩然起舞。噢，婆罗多族中的雄牛啊，那些旗帜光彩灿然，色泽如因陀罗之虹，仿佛在战场上空起舞——在战争的暴烈之中，竟也升起了美与奇观。

Word by Word

• नृत्यमानाः: dancing
• नृत्यमानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपदी

• व्यदृश्यन्त: were seen/appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Ātmanepada

• रजः: of dust
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विलासिकाः: graceful women/courtesans
• विलासिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलासिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• इन्द्रायुधसवर्णाभाः: having the hue of a rainbow
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रायुध-सवर्ण-आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• पताकाः: banners/flags
• पताकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• भरतर्षभ: O bull of the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'bharatarṣabha')
• patākāḥ (banners/flags)
• Indrāyudha (rainbow)
• rajaḥ (battle-dust)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how aesthetic beauty and illusion can persist even in brutal contexts: the mind perceives elegance (dancing figures, rainbow hues) amid dust and slaughter. It subtly underscores the contrast between outward spectacle and the inner reality of war, inviting ethical reflection on how violence can be masked by pageantry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: dust fills the air, and the army’s banners, stirred by the wind, appear like dancers on a stage. Their rainbow-like colors make them stand out vividly despite the chaos.