Shloka 13
Rukmī’s Offer of Aid and Arjuna’s Refusal (रुक्मिप्रस्तावः—अर्जुनप्रत्याख्यानम्)
पर्वतानां यथा मेरु: सुपर्ण: पक्षिणां यथा । कुमार इव देवानां वसूनामिव हव्यवाट्
parvatānāṁ yathā meruḥ suparṇaḥ pakṣiṇāṁ yathā | kumāra iva devānāṁ vasūnām iva havyavāṭ ||
যেমন পর্বতদের মধ্যে মেরু, পক্ষীদের মধ্যে সুপর্ণ (গরুড়), দেবতাদের মধ্যে কুমার (কার্ত্তিকেয়) এবং বসুদের মধ্যে হব্যবাট্ (অগ্নি) শ্রেষ্ঠ—তেমনি আপনি আমাদের সকল সেনার অধিনায়ক ও রক্ষক হোন।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses well-known divine and cosmic exemplars of supremacy and guardianship to frame an ethical ideal of command: a leader should be foremost in excellence and steadfast in protection of those entrusted to him.
In the Udyoga Parva’s mobilization context, the speaker (as narrated by Vaiśampāyana) conveys a formal praise and request: the addressed person is urged to become the chief commander and protector of the assembled forces, likened to Meru, Garuḍa, Kārttikeya, and Agni in their respective domains.