Mahābhārata · 7.80.24–25
॥
Devanāgarī
शलस्य तु महाराज राजतो द्विरदो महान् ॥
केतुः काञ्चनचित्राङ्गैर् मयूरैर् उपशोभितः ॥
स केतुः शोभयाम् आस सैन्यं ते भरतर्षभ ॥
यथा श्वेतो महानागो देवराजचमूं तथा ॥
Transliteración (IAST)
śalasya tu mahārāja rājato dvirado mahān ||
ketuḥ kāñcanacitrāṅgair mayūrair upaśobhitaḥ ||
sa ketuḥ śobhayām āsa sainyaṃ te bharatarṣabha ||
yathā śveto mahānāgo devarājacamūṃ tathā ||
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
शलस्य तु महाराजśalasya tu mahārājaas for Shala, O great king; and Shala, O great king
राजतः द्विरदः महान्rājataḥ dviradaḥ mahāna great silver elephant; a huge silver elephant
केतुः काञ्चनचित्राङ्गैःketuḥ kāñcanacitrāṅgaiḥa banner with gold-spangled limbs; a standard [bearing] gold-patterned
मयूरैः उपशोभितःmayūraiḥ upaśobhitaḥadorned with peacocks; decked with peacocks
सः केतुः शोभयाम् आसsaḥ ketuḥ śobhayām āsathat banner adorned; that standard graced
सैन्यम् ते भरतर्षभsainyam te bharatarṣabhayour army, O bull among the Bharatas; your host, O bull of the Bharatas
यथा श्वेतः महानागःyathā śvetaḥ mahānāgaḥas a great white elephant; just as a huge white elephant
देवराजचमूम् तथाdevarājacamūm tathā[adorns] the army of the king of gods, likewise; [graces] the host of the lord of gods, so too [this one]
Traducción
"As for Shala, O great king, a great silver elephant was his banner, adorned with gold-spangled peacocks. That banner adorned your army, O bull among the Bharatas, as a great white elephant [adorns] the army of the king of gods."
Versión
c886b37631ba · publicado 19 jul 2026, 15:52:57 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Shala's banner is a silver elephant that graces his army as Airavata graces Indra's host. It is an image of royal might and steadiness; yet even an elephant in battle, for all its bulk, becomes prey. It is telling that the majestic beauty of the banner is likened to the celestial, while the field beneath it fills with death. The verse teaches that earthly might, however much it likens itself to the divine, remains perishable: even the greatest of elephants falls where armies driven by enmity meet.