Shloka 63
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
सभाप्रवेश: कृष्णस्य विदुलापुत्रशासनम् | उद्योग: सैन्यनिर्याणं विश्वोपाख्यानमेव च,फिर श्रीकृष्णका सभाप्रवेश, विदुलाका अपने पुत्रके प्रति उपदेश, युद्धका उद्योग, सैन्यनिर्याण तथा विश्वोपाख्यान--इनका क्रमश: उल्लेख हुआ है
sabhāpraveśaḥ kṛṣṇasya vidulāputraśāsanam | udyogaḥ sainyaniryāṇaṃ viśvopākhyānam eva ca |
The narration proceeds by listing, in order, these topics: Kṛṣṇa’s entry into the royal assembly; Vidulā’s counsel to her son, urging steadfastness and right resolve; the preparations for war; the marching forth of the armies; and the account known as the Viśvopākhyāna. The verse serves as a thematic index, setting counsel (ethical instruction) beside action (mobilization for conflict) as the epic unfolds.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
That the epic’s movement from counsel to action is deliberate: ethical instruction (Vidulā’s admonition) and political-military action (war preparations and the army’s march) are presented as sequential, interconnected steps in the pursuit of duty and resolve.
The verse is a catalog of upcoming or discussed episodes: Kṛṣṇa enters the assembly, Vidulā advises her son, preparations for conflict begin, armies depart, and the Viśvopākhyāna episode is recounted—marking the progression of themes and events.