Shloka 26
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
मौज्जीधराश्न राजेन्द्र तथा कुज्चितमूर्थजा: । उष्णीषिणो मुकुटिनश्नारुवक्त्रा: स्वलड्कृता:
sañjaya uvāca | mauñjīdharāś ca rājendra tathā kuñcitamūrdhajāḥ | uṣṇīṣiṇo mukuṭinaś cāruvaktrāḥ svalāṅkṛtāḥ ||
三阇耶说道：“大王，有的束以茅草（मुञ्ज草）之带，有的鬈发卷曲；有的缠头巾，有的戴王冠。许多面容俊美可喜，许多又以精妙饰物装点其身。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse offers no direct moral injunction; its ethical resonance lies in contrast: even those marked by status, beauty, and ornamentation are swept into the same violent aftermath of war. It underscores the fragility of worldly distinctions amid adharma-driven destruction.
Sañjaya is describing to the king the varied appearance and attire of the people/warriors being seen—some with ritual belts, some with curly hair, some with turbans or crowns, many handsome and ornamented—setting a vivid scene within the grim events of the Sauptika episode.