Verse 1.20
Speaker: Sanjaya
Sanskrit
अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः | प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः ||२०||
Transliteration (IAST)
atha vyavasthitāndṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrānkapidhvajaḥ | pravṛtte śastrasampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ ||20||
Word-by-Word Meanings
व्यवस्थितान्-arrayed
धार्तराष्ट्रान्-the sons of Dhritarashtra
कपिध्वजः-he whose flag bears Hanuman
शस्त्रसम्पाते-when weapons were about to be discharged
धनुः-bow
उद्यम्य-taking up
Translation
Then, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra arrayed and the discharge of weapons about to begin, Arjuna, whose flag bears Hanuman, took up his bow.
Commentary
Arjuna is called 'kapidhvaja' (he whose banner bears the monkey-god Hanuman). This epithet connects him to Rama's epic and signals divine protection. The moment of taking up the bow marks the transition from preparation to the crisis that will unfold.
Themes
dharmaduty