Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
तूणाश्मानं वाजिरथप्रवाहां ध्वजद्रुमै: संवृतकूलरोधसम् । पदातिनागैर्बहुकर्दमां नदीं सपत्ननाशे नृपति: प्रयोजयेत्
tūṇāśmānaṃ vājirathapravāhāṃ dhvajadrumaiḥ saṃvṛtakūlarodhasam | padātināgair bahukardamāṃ nadīṃ sapatnanāśe nṛpatiḥ prayojayet ||
ধৃতৰাষ্ট্ৰে ক’লে—প্ৰতিদ্বন্দ্বী শত্রুৰ বিনাশৰ বাবে ৰজাই নিজৰ সেনাক নদীৰ দৰে প্ৰয়োগ কৰিব লাগে। য’ত তূণীৰ শিলাখণ্ডৰ দৰে, ঘোঁৰা আৰু ৰথ প্ৰবল সোঁতৰ দৰে; যাৰ তীৰ ধ্বজ-ৰূপী বৃক্ষৰে আচ্ছাদিত; আৰু ভিতৰত পদাতিক আৰু গজ গাঢ়, আঠালো কাদাৰ দৰে। এই ‘সেনা-নদী’ চলাই শত্রুনাশ সাধন কৰিব লাগে।
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a strategic image of royal power: a king must deploy his forces decisively and in an organized way to neutralize hostile rivals. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya-world view where protection of the realm may require force, but it also warns (by its vividness) how war becomes an overwhelming, engulfing force like a flood.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks in the Ashramavāsika context, using a striking metaphor: he compares an army to a river whose components are mapped onto military units and equipment, describing how a king would use such a force to destroy enemies.