Shloka 24
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
साग्रं शतसहस्र॑ तु हयानां तस्य धीमत: । सोमदत्तं महेष्वासं समन्तात् पर्यरक्षत,बुद्धिमान शकुनिके एक लाखसे अधिक घुड़सवार महाधनुर्धर सोमदत्तकी सब ओरसे रक्षा करने लगे
sāgraṁ śata-sahasraṁ tu hayānāṁ tasya dhīmataḥ | somadattaṁ maheṣvāsaṁ samantāt paryarakṣata | buddhimān śakunike eka-lākha-se adhika ghuṛasavāra mahā-dhanurdhara somadatta-kī saba orase rakṣā karane lage |
Sañjaya said: More than a hundred thousand horsemen, acting under the direction of that wise commander, formed a protective ring on every side around Somadatta, the great archer. In the moral atmosphere of the war, this line underscores how strategy and loyalty—however aligned—are employed to preserve a key warrior amid the chaos of battle.
सयजय उवाच