Shloka 31
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
महाराज! वहाँ आये हुए समस्त भूपालोंसे घिरे हुए पाण्डवलोग ऐसी शोभा पा रहे थे, मानो तारोंसे घिरे हुए ग्रह सुशोभित हों
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mahārāja! tatra āgatānāṃ samastabhūpālānāṃ parivṛtāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ tādṛśīṃ śobhāṃ prāpuḥ, yathā tārābhiḥ parivṛtā grahāḥ suśobhitā bhavanti |
Vaiśampāyana said: O great king, there, surrounded by all the assembled rulers, the Pāṇḍavas shone with a special splendor—like the planets, beautifully adorned when encircled by the stars.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True royal greatness is shown through dharmic legitimacy and the willing honor of other rulers; the Pāṇḍavas’ radiance comes from recognized righteousness and orderly sovereignty, not merely from power.
In the Ashvamedha-related setting, many kings have gathered, and the Pāṇḍavas stand among them with striking splendor; the narrator compares them to planets shining amid surrounding stars.