Shloka 19
Parīkṣit-janma-saṃkaṭa and Kuntī’s petition to Vāsudeva (परिक्षिज्जन्मसंकटं कुन्त्याः प्रार्थना च)
शकटानि रथाश्रैव तावदेव करेणव: । खराणां पुरुषाणां च परिसंख्या न विद्यते,महाराज! साठ हजार ऊँट, एक करोड़ बीस लाख घोड़े, एक लाख हाथी, एक लाख रथ, एक लाख छकड़े और उतनी ही हथिनियाँ थीं। गधों और मनुष्योंकी तो गिनती ही नहीं थी
śakaṭāni rathāś caiva tāvad eva kareṇavaḥ | kharāṇāṃ puruṣāṇāṃ ca parisaṃkhyā na vidyate, mahārāja |
Vaiśampāyana said: “There were just as many carts and chariots, and the same number of female elephants as well. But, O great king, the donkeys and the men were beyond counting.” The verse underscores the immense scale of the preparations and resources being marshalled—so vast that even enumeration fails—hinting at the burdens and human labor that accompany royal enterprises.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal undertakings can reach such magnitude that they exceed ordinary measures of accounting, implicitly drawing attention to the vast material resources and human labor required—and inviting reflection on restraint, responsibility, and the ethical weight of power.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the enormous numbers of vehicles and animals involved; carts, chariots, and female elephants are said to be in equal measure, while the donkeys and the men are so numerous that they cannot be counted.