Shloka 4
कुन्त्याः वनगमननिश्चयः — Kuntī’s Resolve to Depart for the Forest
गजेन्द्रैश्न तथैवान्ये केचिदुष्टरैनराधिप । पदातिनस्तथैवान्ये नखरप्रासयोधिन:,नरेश्वर! कुछ लोग गजराजोंपर सवार थे और कुछ ऊँटोंपर। कितने ही बधनखों और भालोंसे युद्ध करनेवाले वीर पैदल ही चल रहे थे
Vaiśampāyana uvāca | gajendraiś ca tathaivānye kecid uṣṭraiḥ narādhipa | padātinas tathaivānye nakhara-prāsa-yodhinaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, some were mounted on lordly elephants, and others on camels. Still others—foot-soldiers skilled in fighting with sharp claws (hand-weapons) and with spears—advanced on foot.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not state a direct moral injunction; it reinforces the epic’s realism by depicting the diversity of forces—elephant corps, camel riders, and infantry—implying that power and duty (rājadharma) operate through organized, varied means rather than a single heroic mode.
Vaiśampāyana describes a martial movement or assembly: some warriors ride great elephants, some ride camels, and others proceed on foot, equipped for close combat and spear-fighting—setting the scene with concrete details of the troops.