Shloka 96
ततस्तेनैव सहितो नर्मदामभितो ययौ । वहाँ महाबली माद्रीकुमारने सेक और अपरसेक देशोंपर विजय पायी और उन सबसे नाना प्रकारके रत्न भेंटमें लिये। तत्पश्चात् सेकाधिपतिको साथ ले उन्होंने नर्मदाकी ओर प्रस्थान किया
tatas tenaiva sahito narmadām abhito yayau |
Vaiśampāyana said: Then, accompanied by that very (king/ally), he proceeded along the region of the Narmadā. There the mighty son of Mādrī conquered the lands of the Śakas and the Aparaśakas, receiving from them many kinds of jewels as tribute. Thereafter, taking the lord of the Śakas with him, he set out toward the Narmadā—marking the steady expansion of his campaign through victory, submission, and the orderly acceptance of gifts rather than wanton plunder.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights a dharmic model of conquest in the context of a royal campaign: victory is followed by formal submission and tribute (ratna-bheṭa), indicating ordered sovereignty rather than indiscriminate violence. It frames power as something to be exercised with political restraint and recognized protocols.
The son of Mādrī continues his campaign near the Narmadā, defeats the Śakas and Aparaśakas, receives various jewels as tribute, and then proceeds onward, taking the Śaka ruler with him—signaling the incorporation of conquered rulers into the expanding sphere of authority.