Shloka 24
Rājasūya-sambhāra: Prosperity under Rājadharma and the Initiation of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Sacrifice
समुद्रसेनं निर्जित्य चन्द्रसेनं च पार्थिवम् । ताम्रलिप्तं च राजानं कर्वटाधिपतिं तथा,तदनन्तर भरतश्रेष्ठ भीमसेनने समुद्रसेन, भूपाल चन्द्रसेन, राजा ताम्रलिप्त, कर्वटाधिपति तथा सुह्यनरेशको जीतकर समुद्रके तटपर निवास करनेवाले समस्त म्लेच्छोंको भी अपने अधीन कर लिया
samudrasenaṁ nirjitya candrasenaṁ ca pārthivam | tāmrāliptaṁ ca rājānaṁ karvaṭādhipatiṁ tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having defeated Samudrasena, and also the king Candrasena, Bhīmasena further subdued the ruler of Tāmrālipta and the lord of Karvaṭa. Thereafter, he brought under his control the coastal Mleccha communities dwelling along the seashore—an episode that underscores the Pandavas’ expansion of lawful sovereignty in preparation for the imperial rite, while also reflecting the epic’s tension between political consolidation and the ethical responsibilities of conquest.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya duty of establishing orderly sovereignty as part of a larger dharmic project (the Rājasūya). Conquest is presented not as mere aggression but as political integration that carries ethical obligations: the victor must govern justly and restrain violence once submission is achieved.
Vaiśampāyana narrates Bhīma’s campaign of subjugation: he defeats kings named Samudrasena and Candrasena, then brings Tāmrālipta and Karvaṭa under control, and subsequently subdues coastal Mleccha groups—expanding Yudhiṣṭhira’s sphere of authority in preparation for the imperial sacrifice.