Shloka 22
महता बलचक्रेण परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना । हस्त्यश्वरथपूर्णेन दंशितेन प्रतापवान् २ ।। वृतो भरतशार्टूलो द्विषच्छोकविवर्द्धन: । वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! इसी समय शत्रुओंका शोक बढ़ानेवाले भरतवंशशिरोमणि महाप्रतापी एवं पराक्रमी भीमसेन भी धर्मराजकी आज्ञा ले, शत्रुके राज्यको कुचल देनेवाली और हाथी, घोड़े एवं रथसे भरी हुई, कवच आदिसे सुसज्जित विशाल सेनाके साथ पूर्व दिशाको जीतनेके लिये चले
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
mahatā balacakreṇa pararāṣṭrāvamardinā |
hasty-aśva-ratha-pūrṇena daṃśitena pratāpavān ||
vṛto bharataśārdūlo dviṣac-choka-vivardhanaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: That mighty hero—the tiger among the Bharatas—was surrounded by a vast, wheel-like host, able to crush the kingdoms of enemies, filled with elephants, horses, and chariots, and fully armed and armored; thus did the grief of his foes increase. Within the epic’s moral order, the verse presents conquest as royal duty: disciplined power exercised under rightful command against hostile realms.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic-political principle: rightful rule is upheld not merely by intent but by disciplined, well-ordered strength under command. Power is portrayed as ethically situated when deployed in service of legitimate royal duty against hostile realms.
Vaiśampāyana describes a leading Bharata hero proceeding with a massive, fully equipped army—elephants, horses, and chariots in organized formation—so formidable that it increases the sorrow of opposing kings. In the surrounding episode (as reflected in the Gītā Press context), this aligns with the campaign of conquest undertaken on the Pāṇḍavas’ behalf.