अथ व्यवस्थितान् दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः। प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसंपाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः।।1.20।।
At that time, the son of Pandu, Arjun, who had the insignia of Hanuman on the flag of his chariot, took up his bow. Seeing your sons arrayed against him, O King, Arjun then spoke the following words to Shree Krishna.
Translation
At that moment, Arjuna, the son of Pandu, with the emblem of Hanuman on his chariot’s flag, raised his bow. Seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra arrayed against him, Arjuna addressed Lord Krishna with the following words.
Word Meanings
atha — thereupon vyavasthitān — situated dṛṣṭvā — looking upon dhārtarāṣṭrān — the sons of Dhritarashtra kapi-dhvajaḥ — he whose flag was marked with Hanumān pravṛtte — while about to engage śastra-sampāte — in releasing his arrows dhanuḥ — bow udyamya — taking up pāṇḍavaḥ — the son of Pandu (Arjuna) hṛṣīkeśam — unto Lord Krishna tadā — at that time vākyam — words idam — these āha — said mahī-pate — O King
Understanding the Verse
In this verse, Sanjay refers to Arjuna as "Kapi Dhwaj" or "Monkey Bannered," symbolizing the mighty presence of Hanuman, the monkey god, whose insignia adorned Arjuna’s chariot. This connection between Arjuna and Hanuman is rooted in a significant incident in their past. Once, Arjuna boasted about his exceptional archery skills and questioned why, during Lord Rama's time, the monkeys had to build a bridge to Lanka using stones. Arjuna arrogantly claimed that he could have built a bridge using just arrows. To demonstrate his prowess, Lord Krishna invited Arjuna to show his skill. Arjuna created a magnificent bridge of arrows, but when Hanuman, the divine monkey god, stepped onto the bridge, it collapsed under his weight. This humbling experience made Arjuna realize the limits of his abilities and the importance of humility. He sought Hanuman’s forgiveness, and in return, Hanuman gave Arjuna a boon: he would accompany him on the battlefield during the war, seated on Arjuna’s chariot. Thus, Arjuna’s chariot flag bore the image of Hanuman, a symbol of strength, humility, and divine support. This connection signifies the divine protection Arjuna had during the Kurukshetra War, where Lord Krishna was his charioteer, and Hanuman’s presence reminded him of the importance of humility and divine grace.
