Shloka 4
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — इरावान्-आवन्त्ययोः युद्धम्, घटोत्कच-भगदत्त-संघर्षः, मद्रेश्वर-विक्षेपः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Irāvān vs the Avanti princes; Ghaṭotkaca vs Bhagadatta; Śalya checked by the Mādrī twins
इसमें न कोई अत्यन्त बूढ़ा है, न बालक है, न अत्यन्त दुबला है और न अत्यन्त मोटा ही है। इसमें शीघ्र कार्य करनेवाले, प्राय: ऊँचे कदके लोग हैं। इस सेनाका प्रत्येक सैनिक सारखान् योद्धा और नीरोग है ।। आत्तसंनाहशस्त्रं च बहुशस्त्रपरिग्रहम् । असियुद्धे नियुद्धे च गदायुद्धे च कोविदम्,यहाँ सबने कवच एवं अस्त्र-शस्त्र धारण कर रखा है। अनेक प्रकारके बहुसंख्यक शस्त्रोंका संग्रह किया गया है। यहाँका एक-एक योद्धा खड्गयुद्ध, मल्लयुद्ध और गदायुद्धमें कुशल है
sañjaya uvāca |
na cātra kaścid atijīrṇaḥ, na bālaḥ, nātyaśīrṇaḥ, nātyasthūlaś ca vidyate |
śīghrakāryāḥ prāya uccakāyā narāḥ |
asyāḥ senāyāḥ pratyekaḥ sainikaḥ sāra-khān yoddhā nīrogaś ca |
ātta-saṃnāha-śastraṃ ca bahu-śastra-parigraham |
asi-yuddhe niyuddhe ca gadā-yuddhe ca kovidam ||
Sañjaya said: “In this host there is no one extremely aged, no child, no one excessively lean, and none overly corpulent. Most are tall men, swift in execution. Every soldier in this army is a seasoned, battle-hardened warrior and in sound health. All are fully equipped with armor and weapons, and they possess a great store of many kinds of arms. Each fighter is skilled in sword-combat, in close wrestling, and in fighting with the mace.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya ideal of disciplined preparedness: a force is ethically and strategically effective when its members are fit, properly equipped, and trained in multiple modes of combat—suggesting that responsibility in war includes competence, readiness, and order rather than mere aggression.
Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra about the composition and capability of the army: he emphasizes the soldiers’ physical fitness, health, full armament, and expertise in sword-fighting, close combat, and mace-fighting, thereby conveying the host’s formidable morale and preparedness.