Shloka 38
अभ्ययात् तं च पाज्चाल्यो विजित्य तरसा महीम् | अक्षौहिणीभिदर्दशभि: स एनं समरेडजयत्,शत्रुओंकी सेनाएँ भरतवंशी योद्धाओंका नाश करने लगीं। पांचालनरेशने इस पृथ्वीको कम्पित करते हुए चतुरंगिणी सेनाके साथ संवरणपर आक्रमण किया और उनकी सारी भूमि वेगपूर्वक जीतकर दस अक्षौहिणी सेनाओंद्वारा संवरणको भी युद्धमें परास्त कर दिया
abhyayāt taṃ ca pāñcālyo vijitya tarasā mahīm | akṣauhiṇībhir daśabhiḥ sa enaṃ samare 'jayat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The king of the Pāñcālas advanced against him; having swiftly overrun and conquered the land, he attacked Saṃvaraṇa with a vast fourfold army, shaking the earth as it moved. With ten akṣauhiṇīs he defeated Saṃvaraṇa in battle.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the destabilizing force of unchecked conquest: military might can rapidly overturn established rule and cause widespread destruction. Implicitly, it frames later Mahābhārata concerns about kṣatriya power needing restraint and legitimacy (dharma) to avoid ruinous outcomes.
The Pāñcāla king marches against Saṃvaraṇa, swiftly conquers the territory, and defeats him in battle using ten akṣauhiṇīs (large army divisions). The enemy forces begin destroying Bharata-line warriors, marking a major setback for Saṃvaraṇa.