सुवर्णवर्णा धर्मज्ञम् अनीकस्थं युधिष्ठिरम् ॥
राजश्रेष्ठं हयश्रेष्ठाः सर्वतः पृष्ठतो ऽन्वयुः ॥
वर्णैश् चोच्चावचैर् दिव्यैः सदश्वानां प्रभद्रकाः ॥
ते यत्ता भीमसेनेन सहिताः काञ्चनध्वजाः ॥
प्रत्यदृश्यन्त राजेन्द्र सेन्द्रा इव दिवौकसः ॥
अत्यरोचत तान् सर्वान् धृष्टद्युम्नः समागतान् ॥
सर्वाण्य् अपि च सैन्यानि भारद्वाजो ऽत्यरोचत ॥
suvarṇavarṇā dharmajñam anīkasthaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ||
rājaśreṣṭhaṃ hayaśreṣṭhāḥ sarvataḥ pṛṣṭhato 'nvayuḥ ||
varṇaiś coccāvacair divyaiḥ sadaśvānāṃ prabhadrakāḥ ||
te yattā bhīmasenena sahitāḥ kāñcanadhvajāḥ ||
pratyadṛśyanta rājendra sendrā iva divaukasaḥ ||
atyarocata tān sarvān dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ samāgatān ||
sarvāṇy api ca sainyāni bhāradvājo 'tyarocata ||
The golden, finest of horses followed from all sides, from behind, the knower of dharma, Yudhishthira, standing in the ranks, best of kings. Having made ready, close-ranked together with Bhimasena, with golden banners, they appeared to the eye, o lord of kings, just as the celestials with Indra at their head. Among all who had assembled, Dhrishtadyumna shone brighter than all; but Drona alone outshone all the hosts together.
cfe583cc5e1a · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
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The long review closes with two radiances: Dhrishtadyumna brighter than all who have gathered, yet Drona alone outshines all the hosts at once. Thus the tradition, having numbered the countless army of truth, reminds us in the final verse: against it stands one man whose brilliance surpasses all. This juxtaposition is telling — multitude against one, and the solitary figure brighter than the multitude. The verse teaches that the greatness of a single man can outweigh whole multitudes; that the gathered strength of a righteous cause must still overcome a lone giant, and in this lies the drama to come; and that an honest witness, in praising his own, does not diminish the adversary but acknowledges his superiority, for truth is dearer than partisanship — and so Sanjaya, though on the side of the Kauravas, gives due credit to both: to the radiance of Dhrishtadyumna, and to the all-outshining brilliance of Drona.