Shloka 26
The Meeting with Puṣkala’s Wife
एषोऽक्षौहिणिविंशत्या यातु यज्ञहयावने । सन्नद्धो रिपुनाशाय युवाको दंडदंडभृत्
eṣo'kṣauhiṇiviṃśatyā yātu yajñahayāvane | sannaddho ripunāśāya yuvāko daṃḍadaṃḍabhṛt
«ليَنْطَلِقْ هذا الفتى—حاملُ العصوين—ومعه عشرون «أكشوهيني» إلى الغابة المسماة يَجْنَهَيَا؛ مُتدرّعًا كامل السلاح، يمضي لإهلاك العدو.»
Unspecified (context-dependent narrative voice within Pātālakhaṇḍa)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: forest
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एषोऽ→एषः; एषोऽक्षौहिणिविंशत्या→एषः अक्षौहिणि-विंशत्या; यज्ञहयावने→यज्ञ-हय-अवने
FAQs
An akṣauhiṇī is a classical Indian military formation; here the verse says the expedition goes with twenty such divisions, emphasizing a very large, organized force.
Literally “bearer of two staffs,” it can indicate a distinctive martial or disciplinary emblem; the verse highlights him as marked by authority and readiness for conflict.
It frames warfare as a purposeful duty—an armed departure undertaken specifically “for the destruction of the enemy,” stressing resolve and preparedness rather than impulsive violence.