Shloka 5
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
सकचग्रहविक्षेपा: सतैलगुडवालुका: । साशीविषघटा: सर्वे ससर्जरसपांसव:
sakacagraha-vikṣepāḥ sa-tailaguḍa-vālukāḥ | sa-āśīviṣa-ghaṭāḥ sarve sa-sarjarasa-pāṃsavaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Sie alle waren mit Vorrichtungen ausgerüstet, um (den Feind) zu packen und zu schleudern, und führten Vorräte an Öl, Jaggery und Sand mit sich; zudem trugen sie Krüge voller Giftschlangen und Staub, der mit Harz vermengt war — Geräte und Stoffe für List, Behinderung und Schaden im heraufziehenden Konflikt.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war-readiness often includes not only open weapons but also coercive devices and harmful stratagems; ethically, it highlights the moral descent that accompanies escalation toward battle, where ingenuity is turned toward injury rather than restraint.
A catalogue of war materials is being described: the forces are shown as fully outfitted with grappling/throwing devices and various supplies (oil, jaggery, sand), including jars containing venomous snakes and resin-dust—items suited for tactics, disruption, and causing harm.