Shloka 9
कुन्त्याः वनगमननिश्चयः — Kuntī’s Resolve to Depart for the Forest
गजैश्वाचलसंकाशैर्भीमकर्मा वृकोदर: । सज्जयमन्त्रायुधोपेतै: प्रययौँ पवनात्मज:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
gajaiś cācalasaṅkāśair bhīmakarmā vṛkodaraḥ |
sajjayantrāyudhopetaiḥ prayayau pavanātmajaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The Wind-god’s son, Vṛkodara (Bhīmasena), whose deeds were terrible in might, set forth accompanied by elephants that looked like mountains. Those great elephants were fitted out with well-prepared mechanical contrivances and weapons.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within a narrative framed by withdrawal to the forest and the waning of royal life, the verse highlights disciplined preparedness and organized strength. It implicitly contrasts worldly power—symbolized by armed, engineered war-elephants—with the larger movement of the epic toward restraint and renunciation, reminding readers that might and equipment are secondary to the ethical direction (dharma) in which one proceeds.
Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma (Vṛkodara), son of the Wind-god, setting out with a formidable elephant force. The elephants are depicted as mountain-like and outfitted with devices and weapons, emphasizing the scale and readiness of the entourage accompanying him.