Shloka 22
Adhyāya 195 — Arjuna’s Capability and Restraint Regarding Divyāstras
Udyoga Parva
जिस सैन्य-समुद्रमें स्वयं राजा युधिष्ठिर थे, उसमें बहुत-से भूमिपाल उन्हें चारों ओरसे घेरकर चलते थे ।। तत्र नागसहस्राणि हयानामयुतानि च । तथा रथसहस्राणि पदातीनां च भारत
tatra nāgasahasrāṇi hayānām ayutāni ca | tathā rathasahasrāṇi padātīnāṃ ca bhārata ||
Dort, o Bhārata, gab es Tausende von Elefanten, Zehntausende von Pferden, ebenso Tausende von Streitwagen und gewaltige Massen an Fußvolk. So bewegte sich das Heer um König Yudhiṣṭhira wie ein weites Meer der Waffen—eine sichtbare Machtdemonstration, die bald durch die Forderungen des Dharma auf die Probe gestellt werden sollte.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immense mobilization of force around a dharmic king, implying that sheer military magnitude is not the final measure of righteousness; the coming conflict will judge whether power is aligned with dharma and restraint.
Vaiśampāyana describes the scale of Yudhiṣṭhira’s host—elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry—emphasizing the vastness of the Pandava-led forces as events move toward confrontation in the Udyoga Parva.