Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कोट्यश्चाप्रतिवीराणां समाजग्मुस्ततस्तत: । उन दानवशिरोमणियोंके पास लाखों, करोड़ों और अरबों अप्रतिम वीर दैत्य इधर- उधरसे आ गये थे ।। मांसाशिन: सुदृप्ताश्च सुरैर्विनिकृता: पुरा,निबोध मनसा चात्र न ते कार्या विचारणा । दुर्योधन बोला--मद्रराज! मैं पुन: आपसे जो कुछ कह रहा हूँ, उसे सुनिये। प्रभो! पूर्वकालमें देवासुर-संग्रामके अवसरपर जो घटना घटित हुई थी तथा जिसे महर्षि मार्कण्डेयने मेरे पिताजीको सुनाया था, वह सब मैं पूर्णरूपसे बता रहा हूँ। राजर्षिप्रवर! आप मन लगाकर इसे सुनिये, इसके विषयमें आपको कोई अन्यथा विचार नहीं करना चाहिये तप उग्र॑ समास्थाय नियमे परमे स्थिता: । उस समय देवताओंने दैत्योंको परास्त कर दिया था, यह हमारे सुननेमें आया है। राजन! दैत्योंके परास्त हो जानेपर तारकासुरके तीन पुत्र ताराक्ष, कमलाक्ष और विद्युन्माली उग्र तपस्याका आश्रय ले उत्तम नियमोंका पालन करने लगे

Transliteration

koṭyaś cāprativīrāṇāṃ samājagmus tataḥ tataḥ | māṃsāśinaḥ sudṛptāś ca surair vinikṛtāḥ purā | nibodha manasā cātra na te kāryā vicāraṇā ||

Translation

Then, from every direction, millions upon millions of warriors without equal assembled. Flesh-eating and fiercely exultant, they had once been cut down by the gods. Listen to this with a steady mind; you should not entertain doubt or second thoughts about it here.

Word by Word

कोट्यःcrores (tens of millions)

चand

अप्रतिवीराणाम्of unmatched heroes

समाजग्मुःassembled; came together

ततःthen; thereafter

ततःfrom there

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Madra-raja (Shalya)

Suras (Devas)

Daityas/Danavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how pride and violent appetite (māṃsāśinaḥ, sudṛptāḥ) characterize destructive forces, and it also shows a rhetorical move: Duryodhana urges unwavering acceptance of his narrative, discouraging critical reflection (na te kāryā vicāraṇā).

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana, addressing the king of Madra (Shalya), invokes an ancient Deva–Asura episode: countless formidable Danava/Daitya warriors gather, described as flesh-eating and proud, and he reminds that they were once destroyed by the gods, asking Shalya to listen without doubt.