Shloka 3
भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King
विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ बाह्लीक: सह बाद्टिकै: । त्रिगर्तराजो बलवान् मागधश्न सुदुर्जय:
sañjaya uvāca |
vindānuvindāv āvantyau bāhlīkaḥ saha bāṭṭikaiḥ |
trigartarājo balavān māgadhaś ca sudurjayaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: “Vindā and Anuvindā, the princes of Avanti; Bāhlīka together with the warriors of the Bāṭṭika country; the mighty king of Trigarta; and the Magadhan king, exceedingly hard to conquer—these too stand ready for battle.” In this roll-call of allies, the poem underscores how vast, multi-regional power is being gathered for war, heightening the moral weight of the coming slaughter and the king’s responsibility for the conflict he has chosen to sustain.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as an ethical intensifier: by naming formidable allies from many regions, it highlights that war is not a private quarrel but a mass mobilization whose consequences spread widely. The greater the assembled power, the heavier the ruler’s accountability (rāja-dharma) for choosing escalation over restraint.
Sañjaya continues reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the composition of the Kaurava-aligned forces, listing notable kings and peoples—Avanti’s princes Vindā and Anuvindā, Bāhlīka with the Bāṭṭikas, the strong king of Trigarta, and the formidable Magadhan king—who are prepared to fight.