Mahabharata · 7.80.1
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
ध्वजान् बहुविधाकारान् भ्राजमानान् अतिश्रिया ॥
पार्थानां मामकानां च तान् ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dhvajān bahuvidhākārān bhrājamānān atiśriyā ||
pārthānāṃ māmakānāṃ ca tān mamācakṣva saṃjaya ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ध्वजान् बहुविधाकारान्dhvajān bahuvidhākārānbanners of many-fold form; standards of varied outline
भ्राजमानान् अतिश्रियाbhrājamānān atiśriyāshining with extraordinary beauty; gleaming with boundless splendor
पार्थानाम् मामकानाम् चpārthānām māmakānām caof the Parthas and of my [men]; [of the warriors] of the Parthas and of mine
तान् मम आचक्ष्व संजयtān mama ācakṣva saṃjayadescribe those to me, Sanjaya; tell me of them, Sanjaya
Translation
"Banners of many-fold form, shining with extraordinary beauty — those of the Parthas and of my [men] — describe those to me, Sanjaya."
Version
07db863635f6 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The blind king longs to hear of the beauty of the banners — "bhrājamānān atiśriyā", shining with boundless splendor — for with the eye of the heart he reaches toward what his own eyes cannot see. It is telling that in the hour when men are dying, he asks about the pomp of standards: a mind attached to his sons and their glory seeks comfort in brilliance. The verse teaches that one deprived of outer sight sees only what he is attached to, and longing for the greatness of his own line blinds him to the bitterness of what is unfolding.