महाधनैर् आभरणैश् च दिव्यैः; शस्त्रैः प्रदीप्तैर् अभिसंपतद्भिः ॥
क्षणेन सर्वे विहिताः प्रदीपा; व्यदीपयंश् च ध्वजिनीं तदाशु ॥
सर्वास् तु सेना व्यतिसेव्यमानाः; पदातिभिः पावकतैलहस्तैः ॥
प्रकाश्यमाना ददृशुर् निशायां; यथान्तरिक्षे जलदास् तडिद्भिः ॥
प्रकाशितायां तु तथा ध्वजिन्यां; द्रोणो ऽग्निकल्पः प्रतपन् समन्तात् ॥
रराज राजेन्द्र सुवर्णवर्मा; मध्यं गतः सूर्य इवांशुमाली ॥
जाम्बूनदेष्व् आभरणेषु चैव; निष्केषु शुद्धेषु शरावरेषु ॥
पीतेषु शस्त्रेषु च पावकस्य; प्रतिप्रभास् तत्र ततो बभूवुः ॥
mahādhanair ābharaṇaiś ca divyaiḥ; śastraiḥ pradīptair abhisaṃpatadbhiḥ ||
kṣaṇena sarve vihitāḥ pradīpā; vyadīpayaṃś ca dhvajinīṃ tadāśu ||
sarvās tu senā vyatisevyamānāḥ; padātibhiḥ pāvakatailahastaiḥ ||
prakāśyamānā dadṛśur niśāyāṃ; yathāntarikṣe jaladās taḍidbhiḥ ||
prakāśitāyāṃ tu tathā dhvajinyāṃ; droṇo 'gnikalpaḥ pratapan samantāt ||
rarāja rājendra suvarṇavarmā; madhyaṃ gataḥ sūrya ivāṃśumālī ||
jāmbūnadeṣv ābharaṇeṣu caiva; niṣkeṣu śuddheṣu śarāvareṣu ||
pīteṣu śastreṣu ca pāvakasya; pratiprabhās tatra tato babhūvuḥ ||
With costly and divine ornaments, with blazing weapons flashing everywhere, in a moment all the placed lamps at once illumined the host. All the hosts, attended by footmen with fire and oil in hand, illumined, were seen in the night like clouds in the sky lit by lightning. When the host was thus illumined, Drona, like fire, blazing on every side, shone, O lord of kings, in golden armor, like the ray-garlanded sun at its zenith. On the golden ornaments, on the clean neck-plates, on the quivers, and on the gilded weapons, reflections of the fire arose there from every side.
6c45c2508623 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:46 PM UTC
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Darkness gives way to a sea of fires, and the field turns into a starry sky: the hosts are like clouds lit by lightning, Drona like the sun at zenith. It is telling that at the center of this light stands the teacher in golden armor: light gathers to wisdom and valor as rays gather to the sun. The verse teaches that even in the darkest hour human skill can kindle light; and wherever there is a steadfast center, around it all the rest of the radiance gathers and finds its order.