Shloka 23
The Solar Eclipse at Samanta-pañcaka and the Great Reunion of Yādavas, Pāṇḍavas, and Vraja
भीष्मो द्रोणोऽम्बिकापुत्रो गान्धारी ससुता तथा । सदारा: पाण्डवा: कुन्ती सञ्जयो विदुर: कृप: ॥ २३ ॥ कुन्तीभोजो विराटश्च भीष्मको नग्नजिन्महान् । पुरुजिद्द्रुपद: शल्यो धृष्टकेतु: सकाशिराट् ॥ २४ ॥ दमघोषो विशालाक्षो मैथिलो मद्रकेकयौ । युधामन्यु: सुशर्मा च ससुता बाह्लिकादय: ॥ २५ ॥ राजानो ये च राजेन्द्र युधिष्ठिरमनुव्रता: । श्रीनिकेतं वपु: शौरे: सस्त्रीकं वीक्ष्य विस्मिता: ॥ २६ ॥
bhīṣmo droṇo ’mbikā-putro gāndhārī sa-sutā tathā sa-dārāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ kuntī sañjayo viduraḥ kṛpaḥ
Anwesend waren Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī mit ihren Söhnen, die Pāṇḍavas mit ihren Gemahlinnen, Kuntī, Sañjaya, Vidura und Kṛpācārya; ebenso Kuntībhoja, Virāṭa, Bhīṣmaka, der große Nagnajit, Purujit, Drupada, Śalya, Dhṛṣṭaketu und der König von Kāśi.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, all these kings were now followers of Yudhiṣṭhira because he had subjugated each of them to earn the privilege of performing the Rājasūya sacrifice. The Vedic injunctions state that a kṣatriya who wants to execute the Rājasūya for elevation to heaven must first send out a “victory horse” to roam freely; any other king whose territory this horse enters must either voluntarily submit or face the kṣatriya or his representatives in battle.
FAQs
‘Ambikāputra’ refers to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the son of Queen Ambikā.
He is describing the great assembly at Kurukṣetra where many prominent Kuru and allied elders and royals were present to meet Kṛṣṇa.
Even powerful leaders and elders become spiritually fortunate when they come into the Lord’s presence—seek sādhusaṅga and places where devotion is awakened.